By: Chelsea Good
A Union Township road construction project 40 years in the making has finally been completed. Barrels and barricades were moved aside and traffic flowed Monday evening at the intersection of Isabella Road and U.S. 127 Business Route south of Mt. Pleasant.
According to The Morning Sun, the connection between the two roadways was originally proposed when U.S. 127 Business Route was built in 1962.
Isabella Road was also widened and repaved from Broomfield Road to Bluegrass Road as a part of the project.
Construction was kick-started in 2005 when the state committed $1 million dollars to the project, as reported by The Morning Sun. The state gave an additional $375,000 in 2006 for the widening of Isabella Road.
Another $500,000 came from the Michigan Department of Transportation economic development funds, and Union Township’s contribution of $500,000 rounded out the budget, according to The Morning Sun.
While the improvements were necessary, the construction was inconvenient for those that live and work in the vicinity of Isabella Road. Many people had to find alternative routes to class and work.
Todd Betzold, a CMU student who lives in Jamestown apartments, was frustrated with the construction and is glad the road has re-opened. “Having Isabella Road closed wasn't fun at all. It made it so hard to get to Bluegrass Road, where a lot of my friends live. I don't have to take detours now, which is so much more convenient”, said Betzold.
Betzold is not alone in his feelings of relief that the construction is over. Many Union Township residents and Central Michigan University students are thrilled to see the completion of this project. Now that Isabella Road is open, wider and freshly paved, people are able to get where they need to go more easily and efficiently.
CMU student Michael McArthur also lives in Jamestown apartments. He is enjoying the new and improved Isabella Road. “Now that it is re-opened I love it,” explained McArthur, who said he will also benefit from the new connection of Isabella Road and U.S. 127. “I also love how I will be able to exit off highway 127 and just take Isabella home instead of having to go all the way around.”
Monday, September 29, 2008
She Does It All
By: Chelsea Good
When describing Michelle Somes-Booher, it’s easier to list the things she isn’t involved in than the things she is. Somes-Booher was raised in Mt. Pleasant and chose to stay here to start her family and her career. She is a graduate of Central Michigan University who has chosen to dedicate her time to making Mt. Pleasant a better place for all of us.
Somes-Booher is a professor in CMU’s management department. Teaching courses such as women in management, she develops relationships with her students and gives them the skills they need to achieve their career goals.
One of Somes-Booher’s own career goals was always to own her own business. She achieved that goal in 2004 when she opened Lets Do the Dishes, a paint your own pottery studio.
“I think Mt. Pleasant is a small town that wants to be a bigger town,” says Somes-Booher. “Most people are looking for unique opportunities and I saw a potential market with paint your own pottery.”
Through Lets Do the Dishes, Somes-Booher has given the Mt. Pleasant community a place to gather with friends and family and unleash their creativity in a relaxed friendly atmosphere.
“I have always wanted to own my own business and of course Mt. Pleasant was logical
since we had become established here,” says Somes-Booher. She employs several CMU students and tries to incorporate skills they are learning in their classes into their work at Lets Do The Dishes.
Somes-Booher uses her business to give back to the community. Events such as “Think Pink!”, a breast cancer awareness benefit at Lets Do The Dishes, and participation in local causes such as “Girls On The Run” allow Somes-Booher to grow her business and give back to her community. “We try to invest with causes that touch us directly,” she says.
Somes-Booher feels it is absolutely necessary for locally owned small businesses to be involved in the community. “Besides,” she says, “it is just the right thing to do to give back to those who help you.”
Somes-Booher does more than her fair share of giving back. She is the co-chair of youth ministry and education at the First United Methodist Church of Mt. Pleasant. She is a member of the Women in Business and Leadership Committee and a Junior Achievement leader. Somes-Booher is also a member of the PTO at Fancher Elementary School, where her life’s greatest achievement, her son Charlie, is a fifth grader.
Those who know Michelle Somes-Booher will be the first to tell you that she is one “cool person”. Every community should be so lucky to have people that care as much and work as hard as Michelle.
When describing Michelle Somes-Booher, it’s easier to list the things she isn’t involved in than the things she is. Somes-Booher was raised in Mt. Pleasant and chose to stay here to start her family and her career. She is a graduate of Central Michigan University who has chosen to dedicate her time to making Mt. Pleasant a better place for all of us.
Somes-Booher is a professor in CMU’s management department. Teaching courses such as women in management, she develops relationships with her students and gives them the skills they need to achieve their career goals.
One of Somes-Booher’s own career goals was always to own her own business. She achieved that goal in 2004 when she opened Lets Do the Dishes, a paint your own pottery studio.
“I think Mt. Pleasant is a small town that wants to be a bigger town,” says Somes-Booher. “Most people are looking for unique opportunities and I saw a potential market with paint your own pottery.”
Through Lets Do the Dishes, Somes-Booher has given the Mt. Pleasant community a place to gather with friends and family and unleash their creativity in a relaxed friendly atmosphere.
“I have always wanted to own my own business and of course Mt. Pleasant was logical
since we had become established here,” says Somes-Booher. She employs several CMU students and tries to incorporate skills they are learning in their classes into their work at Lets Do The Dishes.
Somes-Booher uses her business to give back to the community. Events such as “Think Pink!”, a breast cancer awareness benefit at Lets Do The Dishes, and participation in local causes such as “Girls On The Run” allow Somes-Booher to grow her business and give back to her community. “We try to invest with causes that touch us directly,” she says.
Somes-Booher feels it is absolutely necessary for locally owned small businesses to be involved in the community. “Besides,” she says, “it is just the right thing to do to give back to those who help you.”
Somes-Booher does more than her fair share of giving back. She is the co-chair of youth ministry and education at the First United Methodist Church of Mt. Pleasant. She is a member of the Women in Business and Leadership Committee and a Junior Achievement leader. Somes-Booher is also a member of the PTO at Fancher Elementary School, where her life’s greatest achievement, her son Charlie, is a fifth grader.
Those who know Michelle Somes-Booher will be the first to tell you that she is one “cool person”. Every community should be so lucky to have people that care as much and work as hard as Michelle.
Twilight Hysteria
by Kyle Charland
First time author Stephenie Meyers, struck gold when she wrote Twilight in 2006. After three years, and three additional books, the saga has taken off like wild fire around the world.
Twilight, the first book in the series, chronicles the developing relationship between a human girl, Bella Swan, and a vampire, Edward Cullen. Bella meets Edward after moving to Forks, Washington to live with her dad after her mother moves to Florida to be with her boyfriend.
After the release of the book, Twilight hysteria ensued. Many devoted readers developed a cult following of the characters, especially Edward, a fan favorite.
“Originally, I read Twilight because a friend recommended it,” said Julie Matthewson, a 26-year-old caregiver. “But after the first book, I was hooked. Mostly because of Edward.”
With over 500 Facebook groups dedicated to him, he is arguably one of the most popular characters of the series.
“I’m not sure why, but I fell in love with his character right along with Bella,” said Matthewson. “He always knows the right thing to say, and he loves Bella unconditionally.”
Many people enjoy the books for other reasons. The series touches on subjects that every age group or either gender can relate to.
“I think these books are easy to identify with for any age group,” said Erin Gonzolez, an 18-year-old Central Michigan University student. “For me it was extremely romantic, but it was also filled with suspense.”
The series takes on issues like pregnancy, family issues, divorce and love.
“My parents got a divorce recently and I didn’t really have anyone I could talk to,” said Gonzolez. “It was nice to read about someone else who went through the same thing, even if it was fiction.”
Before Breaking Dawn’s release, the series sold over 7.5 million copies in the United States alone. In the first 24 hours of being released, Breaking Dawn, the last book in the series, sold an astounding 250,000 copies and to date has sold over 3.2 million
Twilight is being made into a major motion picture, which is due out in theaters Nov. 21.
by Kyle Charland
First time author Stephenie Meyers, struck gold when she wrote Twilight in 2006. After three years, and three additional books, the saga has taken off like wild fire around the world.
Twilight, the first book in the series, chronicles the developing relationship between a human girl, Bella Swan, and a vampire, Edward Cullen. Bella meets Edward after moving to Forks, Washington to live with her dad after her mother moves to Florida to be with her boyfriend.
After the release of the book, Twilight hysteria ensued. Many devoted readers developed a cult following of the characters, especially Edward, a fan favorite.
“Originally, I read Twilight because a friend recommended it,” said Julie Matthewson, a 26-year-old caregiver. “But after the first book, I was hooked. Mostly because of Edward.”
With over 500 Facebook groups dedicated to him, he is arguably one of the most popular characters of the series.
“I’m not sure why, but I fell in love with his character right along with Bella,” said Matthewson. “He always knows the right thing to say, and he loves Bella unconditionally.”
Many people enjoy the books for other reasons. The series touches on subjects that every age group or either gender can relate to.
“I think these books are easy to identify with for any age group,” said Erin Gonzolez, an 18-year-old Central Michigan University student. “For me it was extremely romantic, but it was also filled with suspense.”
The series takes on issues like pregnancy, family issues, divorce and love.
“My parents got a divorce recently and I didn’t really have anyone I could talk to,” said Gonzolez. “It was nice to read about someone else who went through the same thing, even if it was fiction.”
Before Breaking Dawn’s release, the series sold over 7.5 million copies in the United States alone. In the first 24 hours of being released, Breaking Dawn, the last book in the series, sold an astounding 250,000 copies and to date has sold over 3.2 million
Twilight is being made into a major motion picture, which is due out in theaters Nov. 21.
The Business of Movies in Mt. Pleasant
by Jason Antoniewicz
Despite emerging competition and a slowing economy, movie theaters and movie rental locations in Mt. Pleasant are keeping customers with money-saving incentives.
Celebration Cinema, located at 4935 E. Pickard, provides several reasons for customers to move their movie dollar to their location.
"We have special student discounts that we offer - coupons exclusively for college students," said Chris Couling, general manager of the Mt. Pleasant Celebration location.
On Sunday nights, the movie theater joins forces with radio station WCFX to screen hit films of the past few years for only $2.95 per ticket.
"It sells out almost every week," Couling said.
Attendance and spending at Celebration was normal through the summer, with the trend continuing into the fall. Even with gas prices on the rise, employees there continue to see that people want to be entertained.
"Even though they can rent DVDs and watch them on their HD players at home, it's still not quite the experience of going out to a theater," Couling said.
If customers are not swayed into leaving their home, they can still get more with their money by patronizing Family Video.
"We have the cheapest prices in town, and we always have deals going on," said Leah Christian, employee at the rental chain for two years.
Located at 317 N. Mission St., Family Video's prices and policies are customer friendly.
"On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, whenever you rent a new release, you get a dollar movie free," Christian said.
New customers get 50 percent off rentals and purchases for the first month of their Family Video membership.
Christian said Family Video is keeping up with technology, testing new movie mediums such as Blu-Ray discs for durability.
Chris Couling of Celebration Cinema also explained how the business of operating a theater is changing.
"We're just trying to do more things with the digital projector technology that we couldn't do before with film," Couling said.
Live broadcasts of sporting events and Broadway shows, as well as improved 3-D technology, are some of the things in development.
"There's a lot of things in the future of our company and the industry as a whole," Couling said.
Despite emerging competition and a slowing economy, movie theaters and movie rental locations in Mt. Pleasant are keeping customers with money-saving incentives.
Celebration Cinema, located at 4935 E. Pickard, provides several reasons for customers to move their movie dollar to their location.
"We have special student discounts that we offer - coupons exclusively for college students," said Chris Couling, general manager of the Mt. Pleasant Celebration location.
On Sunday nights, the movie theater joins forces with radio station WCFX to screen hit films of the past few years for only $2.95 per ticket.
"It sells out almost every week," Couling said.
Attendance and spending at Celebration was normal through the summer, with the trend continuing into the fall. Even with gas prices on the rise, employees there continue to see that people want to be entertained.
"Even though they can rent DVDs and watch them on their HD players at home, it's still not quite the experience of going out to a theater," Couling said.
If customers are not swayed into leaving their home, they can still get more with their money by patronizing Family Video.
"We have the cheapest prices in town, and we always have deals going on," said Leah Christian, employee at the rental chain for two years.
Located at 317 N. Mission St., Family Video's prices and policies are customer friendly.
"On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, whenever you rent a new release, you get a dollar movie free," Christian said.
New customers get 50 percent off rentals and purchases for the first month of their Family Video membership.
Christian said Family Video is keeping up with technology, testing new movie mediums such as Blu-Ray discs for durability.
Chris Couling of Celebration Cinema also explained how the business of operating a theater is changing.
"We're just trying to do more things with the digital projector technology that we couldn't do before with film," Couling said.
Live broadcasts of sporting events and Broadway shows, as well as improved 3-D technology, are some of the things in development.
"There's a lot of things in the future of our company and the industry as a whole," Couling said.
CMU and Renaissance Academy Benefit From Hands On Learning
Central Michigan University class is teaching applied science to local charter school and both sides are largely benefiting.
Dr. McDonald’s EDU 345 class is getting some hands on learning this semester. The class will be teaching applied science to grade school students at Renaissance Academy a total of four times this semester.
“It’s good for Renaissance because the elementary students get more personal time to learn about science,” McDonald said. “It’s good for CMU because it means so much more when we can do real world things.”
Students get into groups of only three or four and do different applied science labs. Today they CMU students were doing a lab about buoyancy.
CMU students would take questions and predictions from the younger Renaissance students. CMU students would then show the children the lab and teach them why things float and why things sank.
“I think it’s a great resource for future leaders,” said Ms. Adcox a first grade teacher at Renaissance. “I believe that it really benefits both sides.”
Principal of Renaissance Academy, David Krauss believes the project to be very beneficial to his young students. Hands on learning has always been important at Renaissance Krauss told me. They even receive live shipments of earthworms.
“The more people to share in the students learning is important to me,” Krauss says. “We want the kids to see good college role models, we think this will encourage the young kids to be good college role models themselves some day.”
Dr. McDonald’s EDU 345 class is getting some hands on learning this semester. The class will be teaching applied science to grade school students at Renaissance Academy a total of four times this semester.
“It’s good for Renaissance because the elementary students get more personal time to learn about science,” McDonald said. “It’s good for CMU because it means so much more when we can do real world things.”
Students get into groups of only three or four and do different applied science labs. Today they CMU students were doing a lab about buoyancy.
CMU students would take questions and predictions from the younger Renaissance students. CMU students would then show the children the lab and teach them why things float and why things sank.
“I think it’s a great resource for future leaders,” said Ms. Adcox a first grade teacher at Renaissance. “I believe that it really benefits both sides.”
Principal of Renaissance Academy, David Krauss believes the project to be very beneficial to his young students. Hands on learning has always been important at Renaissance Krauss told me. They even receive live shipments of earthworms.
“The more people to share in the students learning is important to me,” Krauss says. “We want the kids to see good college role models, we think this will encourage the young kids to be good college role models themselves some day.”
High Gas Prices Lead to an Increase in Mopeds
The last time Sam Bolis rode a moped was when he was a teenager delivering newspapers.
But with today’s high gas prices, mopeds are being used now more than ever.
“When I was 13 I had a paper route,” the Clinton Township senior said. “I used to drive the moped around the neighborhood delivering newspapers, but I didn’t use it for much else.”
Bolis said he spent the spring semester in Italy and many people drive mopeds there.
“They have had high gases prices in Europe for a while now,” Bolis said. “I think now that the U.S. is experiencing high gas prices we are going to see a lot more mopeds and smaller cars.”
Marko Spica knows the benefits of driving a moped on campus.
“I pay $3.25 to fill up the tank and it lasts me for four days driving to and from my apartment at Jamestown,” Spica said.
Spica, a CMU basketball player from Serbia, said he makes three trips to campus every weekday. He shares a 1989 Honda with his roommate who bought the moped a few months ago for $600.
“It’s not bad driving it around Mount Pleasant because there isn’t much traffic here,” Spica said. “The only time I don’t like driving it is when I am on my way to 6 a.m. basketball practice.”
Police Chief Stan Dinius said students don’t need to register a moped if the motor is smaller than 50 cubic centimeters.
“We basically treat it as a bicycle in most cases and people can even park their moped on the bike racks,” Dinius said.
Although, drivers are not allowed to operate mopeds on sidewalks, Dinius said.
“It is only allowed on the roads,” Dinius said. “When you want to park it you have to get off of your bike and walk it to the rack.”
Anyone operating a moped under the age of 19 must wear a helmet, Dinius said.
But with today’s high gas prices, mopeds are being used now more than ever.
“When I was 13 I had a paper route,” the Clinton Township senior said. “I used to drive the moped around the neighborhood delivering newspapers, but I didn’t use it for much else.”
Bolis said he spent the spring semester in Italy and many people drive mopeds there.
“They have had high gases prices in Europe for a while now,” Bolis said. “I think now that the U.S. is experiencing high gas prices we are going to see a lot more mopeds and smaller cars.”
Marko Spica knows the benefits of driving a moped on campus.
“I pay $3.25 to fill up the tank and it lasts me for four days driving to and from my apartment at Jamestown,” Spica said.
Spica, a CMU basketball player from Serbia, said he makes three trips to campus every weekday. He shares a 1989 Honda with his roommate who bought the moped a few months ago for $600.
“It’s not bad driving it around Mount Pleasant because there isn’t much traffic here,” Spica said. “The only time I don’t like driving it is when I am on my way to 6 a.m. basketball practice.”
Police Chief Stan Dinius said students don’t need to register a moped if the motor is smaller than 50 cubic centimeters.
“We basically treat it as a bicycle in most cases and people can even park their moped on the bike racks,” Dinius said.
Although, drivers are not allowed to operate mopeds on sidewalks, Dinius said.
“It is only allowed on the roads,” Dinius said. “When you want to park it you have to get off of your bike and walk it to the rack.”
Anyone operating a moped under the age of 19 must wear a helmet, Dinius said.
CMU's Health Services Looking to Keep Students Healthy
By: Michael McArthur
Each year thousands of college students are exposed to illnesses such as the common cold, influenza and meningococcal meningitis because of the close living quarters and crowded class rooms. Central Michigan University’s Health Services is doing their best to inform students on how to avoid these illnesses and stay healthy.
Allan Riggs, a physician at CMU’s Health Services, says that people have become so busy these days that doing the simple things to stay healthy have been some what forgotten.
“Doing the little things such as getting a good night’s sleep, drinking plenty of fluids and washing your hands can go a long way in preventing illnesses”, said Riggs.
Straying away from cigarette smoke as often as possible can help student stay healthy as well. According to Riggs, cigarette smoke can suppress the immune system making it easier to become ill.
If a student does begin to feel ill Riggs suggests that the student should take extra precautions to not spread the illness to their roommates and to get looked at by a doctor as soon as possible.
“Students should use disposable Kleenex when at all possible”, Riggs says, “A lot of people still tend to use handkerchiefs but that does nothing but keep the germs around. The student should also visit Health Services immediately to receive a diagnosis.”
Sammie Paine, a freshman from Fremont, has been around a few sick people this semester already and says that becoming sick is something she is not looking forward to.
“When two of my roommates became sick earlier this semester my other roommate and I did everything we could to try and stay healthy,” said Paine, “We made sure the room was always clean, we were constantly washing our hands every chance we had, and we tried to keep our distance as much as possible.”
According to Riggs if a student does become ill and it is believed to be more that just the common cold, there are services that Health Services offers to help one get over the symptoms and become better.
“We offer flu shots for a charge of $25 dollars and we suggest students receive those in October or November if interested”, said Riggs.
Also with the Meningitis related death of CMU student Lamott Smith this past summer, CMU Health Services is stressing the vaccine.
“Students should really look into the Meningococcal vaccine, it is a bit more expensive but it is definitely worth it”, said Riggs
For more information on how about CMU’s Health Services or how to stay healthy you can visit them online at heatlhservices.cmich.edu.
Each year thousands of college students are exposed to illnesses such as the common cold, influenza and meningococcal meningitis because of the close living quarters and crowded class rooms. Central Michigan University’s Health Services is doing their best to inform students on how to avoid these illnesses and stay healthy.
Allan Riggs, a physician at CMU’s Health Services, says that people have become so busy these days that doing the simple things to stay healthy have been some what forgotten.
“Doing the little things such as getting a good night’s sleep, drinking plenty of fluids and washing your hands can go a long way in preventing illnesses”, said Riggs.
Straying away from cigarette smoke as often as possible can help student stay healthy as well. According to Riggs, cigarette smoke can suppress the immune system making it easier to become ill.
If a student does begin to feel ill Riggs suggests that the student should take extra precautions to not spread the illness to their roommates and to get looked at by a doctor as soon as possible.
“Students should use disposable Kleenex when at all possible”, Riggs says, “A lot of people still tend to use handkerchiefs but that does nothing but keep the germs around. The student should also visit Health Services immediately to receive a diagnosis.”
Sammie Paine, a freshman from Fremont, has been around a few sick people this semester already and says that becoming sick is something she is not looking forward to.
“When two of my roommates became sick earlier this semester my other roommate and I did everything we could to try and stay healthy,” said Paine, “We made sure the room was always clean, we were constantly washing our hands every chance we had, and we tried to keep our distance as much as possible.”
According to Riggs if a student does become ill and it is believed to be more that just the common cold, there are services that Health Services offers to help one get over the symptoms and become better.
“We offer flu shots for a charge of $25 dollars and we suggest students receive those in October or November if interested”, said Riggs.
Also with the Meningitis related death of CMU student Lamott Smith this past summer, CMU Health Services is stressing the vaccine.
“Students should really look into the Meningococcal vaccine, it is a bit more expensive but it is definitely worth it”, said Riggs
For more information on how about CMU’s Health Services or how to stay healthy you can visit them online at heatlhservices.cmich.edu.
Freshman struggle their first year at College
By: Nick Baker
College is a huge step for high school graduates, and for many the transition is difficult, so difficult in fact that only 77.5 percent of last years CMU freshman returned this year.
Apparently these numbers are not abnormal though, with the average drop out rate being close to 30 percent.
CMU’s drop out rate is also similar to other colleges in the state. At Western Michigan University, 73.4 percent of last year’s freshman returned this year. This is also typical for WMU, with their average drop out rate falling between 73 and 76 percent.
With only three quarters of all freshmen returning for a sophomore year, these new students must be having a difficult time adjusting to college life.
Jessica Wilt, a 19-year-old freshman from Berkley, says that dorm life was a lot more difficult than she thought it would be. With no sisters back at home, living with three girls in a Cobb Hall bedroom was quite a change.
“I’m not used to living with other girls,” Said Wilt, “I like having my own space and privacy. It’s hard getting used to having very little personal space.”
Jessica is also struggling with her shyness; she came here knowing very few people and is having a hard time making new friends.
“I’m just not very outgoing,” said Wilt, “I know a couple people up here, but I wish a few of my close friends came here. It’s hard meeting new people.”
Although Jessica is having trouble getting used to her new life, she doesn’t have any plans of leaving CMU. Not all students are planning on returning next fall though.
Ali Lamkin, a 19-year-old freshman from St. Claire Shores, isn’t sure if she is going to continue her college career at CMU.
“It’s a good school,” said Lamkin, “I just don’t think it’s for me. I’m going to stay until I finish my first year, but I don’t know if I’ll come back. I think I’d like to be somewhere closer to home.”
Having trouble adjusting to college life seems to be a challenge for everyone, and while most decide to stay here at CMU, some find other choice
College is a huge step for high school graduates, and for many the transition is difficult, so difficult in fact that only 77.5 percent of last years CMU freshman returned this year.
Apparently these numbers are not abnormal though, with the average drop out rate being close to 30 percent.
CMU’s drop out rate is also similar to other colleges in the state. At Western Michigan University, 73.4 percent of last year’s freshman returned this year. This is also typical for WMU, with their average drop out rate falling between 73 and 76 percent.
With only three quarters of all freshmen returning for a sophomore year, these new students must be having a difficult time adjusting to college life.
Jessica Wilt, a 19-year-old freshman from Berkley, says that dorm life was a lot more difficult than she thought it would be. With no sisters back at home, living with three girls in a Cobb Hall bedroom was quite a change.
“I’m not used to living with other girls,” Said Wilt, “I like having my own space and privacy. It’s hard getting used to having very little personal space.”
Jessica is also struggling with her shyness; she came here knowing very few people and is having a hard time making new friends.
“I’m just not very outgoing,” said Wilt, “I know a couple people up here, but I wish a few of my close friends came here. It’s hard meeting new people.”
Although Jessica is having trouble getting used to her new life, she doesn’t have any plans of leaving CMU. Not all students are planning on returning next fall though.
Ali Lamkin, a 19-year-old freshman from St. Claire Shores, isn’t sure if she is going to continue her college career at CMU.
“It’s a good school,” said Lamkin, “I just don’t think it’s for me. I’m going to stay until I finish my first year, but I don’t know if I’ll come back. I think I’d like to be somewhere closer to home.”
Having trouble adjusting to college life seems to be a challenge for everyone, and while most decide to stay here at CMU, some find other choice
Borden Building: Not Quite Yet
The $7.2 million Borden Building renovation has hit a bump in the road. The renovations had been scheduled for completion on Oct. 1, but the work will not be completed on time.
“No set date has been made yet for completion,” said Greg Baderschneider, Director of Parks, Buildings and Grounds for the city. “We’re hoping sometime within the next month.”
Restoration of the historic building began in November 2005, when voters approved the sale of City Hall with the proceeds to be used to help pay for the Borden Building’s renovations.
During this span, many renovations have been done to preserve and improve this building.
“It’s been totally retrofitted to fit the city’s needs,” said Greg Baderschneider, Director of Parks, Buildings and Grounds for the city. “Anything you can imagine going into office space is what’s going in there.”
Some of the building’s interior work includes painting, electrical lighting and final communicative data services said Baderschneider.
“We’ll have better work space,” Baderschneider said. “Commission chambers will be more conducive to televising meetings.”
A media area is being installed in those commission chambers to publicize meetings, along with an observation window looking on from the second-level office space.
“What makes that nice is if staff needs to see what’s going on, they can go see it through the window,” Baderschneider said.
The building renovations also give the city employees more activities to do before and after work.
Employees will have access to a gym on the first floor, consisting of treadmills and Boflex machines, and a catwalk, inaccessible to the public, will be built on the second floor out to Broadway Street.
The renovations to Borden Building will offer many changes to the city employees and the new headquarters are something they all can’t wait to move into to, but that will have to wait also.
“Once they give us a date, we’ll give a two-week window to move in,” Baderschneider said.
Plans are also underway for an open house celebration soon after the move is complete. The entire community is invited to join in the dedication of the new City Hall in the restored Borden Building. Tours will be conducted and light refreshments served following the dedication.
More information regarding the specific date and time of the open house to celebrate the restoration of this remarkable piece of our community’s history can be found at www.mt-pleasant.org.
Historic Downtown turns to Mardi Gras Madness
By: Lindsey Noel
Downtown Mount Pleasant could have easily been mistaken for New Orleans if you were one of the many people who came out Friday afternoon. The annual Mardi Gras celebration took place Friday and was a great success.
“It seemed like the whole town was there,” said Lindsay Elias, a CMU senior from Mason, “It was a lot of fun and something different to do in Mount Pleasant.”
The town was decorated to the hilt and there were various activities for people of all ages to participate in. There was face painting, mask making, an inflatable obstacle course, a dunk tank, live music and entertainment and a whole lot more.
Elias was a volunteer for the event and she worked the kids’ inflatable obstacle course.
“It was so cute to watch the kids go through with all their beads and adorable little masks,” said Elias, “It’s like a big party for them.”
The big Mardi Gras parade was the main event, with a special performance by the CMU Marching Band. The Mount Pleasant High School marching band also performed for the first time at this event to show off their new uniforms.
“The Parade was definitely my favorite part of the day. There were so many colors and neat decorations and it was really nice to see Mount Pleasant livened up a little,” said Elias.
Some people thought that the foam dance party for teens outside of Heartstrings & Fun Things was the coolest event of the Mardi Gras festival. Up to 50 people could dance in the 16-by-16 foot playroom filled with washing machine bubbles.
Downtown Mount Pleasant could have easily been mistaken for New Orleans if you were one of the many people who came out Friday afternoon. The annual Mardi Gras celebration took place Friday and was a great success.
“It seemed like the whole town was there,” said Lindsay Elias, a CMU senior from Mason, “It was a lot of fun and something different to do in Mount Pleasant.”
The town was decorated to the hilt and there were various activities for people of all ages to participate in. There was face painting, mask making, an inflatable obstacle course, a dunk tank, live music and entertainment and a whole lot more.
Elias was a volunteer for the event and she worked the kids’ inflatable obstacle course.
“It was so cute to watch the kids go through with all their beads and adorable little masks,” said Elias, “It’s like a big party for them.”
The big Mardi Gras parade was the main event, with a special performance by the CMU Marching Band. The Mount Pleasant High School marching band also performed for the first time at this event to show off their new uniforms.
“The Parade was definitely my favorite part of the day. There were so many colors and neat decorations and it was really nice to see Mount Pleasant livened up a little,” said Elias.
Some people thought that the foam dance party for teens outside of Heartstrings & Fun Things was the coolest event of the Mardi Gras festival. Up to 50 people could dance in the 16-by-16 foot playroom filled with washing machine bubbles.
Cell Phones- Keeping Us Connected
Ten years ago it became common for Americans to own a cellular phone. At this time cell phone plans financially comparable to today typically consisted of 30 minutes to an hour a month while overage charges came at a hefty price. As cell phone popularity has risen, plans now allowed more minutes for a lower rate.
We then learned the brutal realities of roaming charges. Today, cell phone users nationwide are able to use their cellular phones whenever and wherever without the fear of large roaming charges. Cell phones are now connecting people in a way that was nearly financially impossible for the average American ten years ago.
“When I went to college, I had to get a phone with the area code of the city my college was in or every time I made a call I would get roaming charges,” Sara Peterson, 26, said. “I used to only use my cell phone when it was important, and now, I can call family across the country and don’t pay any more than if they were sitting next to me.”
Peterson’s situation was typical for anyone moving out of their area code to attend college in the early 2000’s.
Central Michigan University Freshman Paris Cotton says he calls home to Miami, Florida every day. It is an enormous help that he does not have to pay any roaming charges when connecting with his family.
“It’s helped because it’s not much of a bill problem; I have the same bill every time.” When asked about the importance of his cell phone in daily life Cotton said, “It’s my watch, my everything; it would be bad if I couldn’t have my cell phone anymore.”
In addition to affordable unlimited minutes and the near extinction of roaming charges, it is now typical to text message daily and even hourly. It is also possible to receive and send emails from your cell phone. The phenomenon that is the cell phone and the way we use and depend on it is changing the way we all connect.
We then learned the brutal realities of roaming charges. Today, cell phone users nationwide are able to use their cellular phones whenever and wherever without the fear of large roaming charges. Cell phones are now connecting people in a way that was nearly financially impossible for the average American ten years ago.
“When I went to college, I had to get a phone with the area code of the city my college was in or every time I made a call I would get roaming charges,” Sara Peterson, 26, said. “I used to only use my cell phone when it was important, and now, I can call family across the country and don’t pay any more than if they were sitting next to me.”
Peterson’s situation was typical for anyone moving out of their area code to attend college in the early 2000’s.
Central Michigan University Freshman Paris Cotton says he calls home to Miami, Florida every day. It is an enormous help that he does not have to pay any roaming charges when connecting with his family.
“It’s helped because it’s not much of a bill problem; I have the same bill every time.” When asked about the importance of his cell phone in daily life Cotton said, “It’s my watch, my everything; it would be bad if I couldn’t have my cell phone anymore.”
In addition to affordable unlimited minutes and the near extinction of roaming charges, it is now typical to text message daily and even hourly. It is also possible to receive and send emails from your cell phone. The phenomenon that is the cell phone and the way we use and depend on it is changing the way we all connect.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Say "goodbye to construction" and "hello to Isabella Road"
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Construction that began nearly five months ago, has finally finished on Isabella Road. “It is a great improvement and I am glad the road construction has come to an end,” said Luke Baker, CMU senior and Jamestown resident.
The project to widen Isabella Road between Broomfield Road and Bluegrass Road, to pave a section of road south of Bluegrass and also connect Isabella Road to U.S. 127 Business Route came to a conclusion Tuesday, Sept. 22.
“It was a very annoying process,” says Baker. “It would have been more practical to have finished construction before students moved back for the school year.”
Delays ranging from waiting for the right timing to government 
checks getting hung up during the state’s 2007 budget crisis, have created many “speed bumps” in the road construction process.
With many delays, the project has been long over due.
“It needed to be done,” said Baker. “In my last few years at Central I have seen more and more accidents occur on Isabella Road, that all could have been prevented if this project was done earlier.”
With the increase in traffic from the new retail complex on Broomfield, safety became a number one issue in finishing the project in a timely manner. Originally, the paving of Isabella Road and the connection to U.S. 127 was a part of the 2007 project to improve access to the new retail complex.
CMU senior, Martha Ruttman said, “I was concerned about my safety before this project began; to even visit friends that were in that area of Mt. Pleasant was a challenge.”
Now with the new improvements to the road, problems with traffic congestion and confusion of what is or is not a turning lane should be resolved.
“In the future, I am going to be using Isabella Road more for access to 127, to just get around Mt. Pleasant and avoid the large mess of traffic on Mission,” said Ruttman.
Total funds used on the whole project was $2,375,000, with $1 million from Governor Granholm’s job initiative program, another $375,000 for the widening of Isabella Road, $500,000 coming from the Michigan Department of Transportation and $500,000 from the Union Township for the project.
Improvements made are hoped to decrease accidents and traffic. “It’s much better now and I am glad that the construction is over,” said Ruttman.
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan
The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan is a religious organization that refers to themselves as the “uncommon denomination.”
The Unitarian Universalist fellowship is an organization that many people aren’t familiar with. The UUFCM follows seven principals.
The principals are the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equality, and compassion in human relations; acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations; a free and responsible search for truth and meaning; the rights of conscience and the use of democratic process within our congregation and the society at large; the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all; and respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
The congregation is led by Rev. Nana’ Kratochvi. The UUFCM provides religious education for all ages preschool to adults and is involved with the community through donations and volunteer work.
President Guy Newland says, "The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan is a welcoming, liberal faith community committed to spiritual exploration, reason, and social justice. We have services every Sunday at 10:30 at ArtReach in downtown Mount Pleasant. Join us!"
The Unitarian Universalist fellowship is an organization that many people aren’t familiar with. The UUFCM follows seven principals.
The principals are the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equality, and compassion in human relations; acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations; a free and responsible search for truth and meaning; the rights of conscience and the use of democratic process within our congregation and the society at large; the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all; and respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
The congregation is led by Rev. Nana’ Kratochvi. The UUFCM provides religious education for all ages preschool to adults and is involved with the community through donations and volunteer work.
President Guy Newland says, "The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan is a welcoming, liberal faith community committed to spiritual exploration, reason, and social justice. We have services every Sunday at 10:30 at ArtReach in downtown Mount Pleasant. Join us!"
Wind turbines coming to the Union Township scenery
For the past several months, the Union Township has been working on a zoning ordinance that will encompass standards and regulations for building wind turbines. Earlier this year the state of Michigan sent out a model ordinance to municipalities for them to consider working on one of their own.
According to William Woodruff, Union Township zoning administrator, “I have already had two inquiries so far of people who are interested in putting up wind generators.” The Union Township is using the model ordinance to build upon and be proactive about having the ordinance in place.
“I try to anticipate the concerns of the general public and one may be the visual aspect,” says Woodruff.
The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) discusses that visual impacts can be decreased with careful planning and good design. A few of the other concerns that may arise in the general public are birds being killed by the turbines and noise issues. A study by Erikson shows that less than 10,000 bird fatalities can be related to wind turbines, when 800,000 are related to high tension lines.
Source: Erickson, et.al, 2002. Summary of Anthropogenic Causes of Bird Mortality
As a result of improved engineering, AWEA says that aerodynamic noise can be reduced by just minimal design changes. For example, by changing the thickness of the blades or changing the direction of the tower can reduce noise.
Wind powered energy systems “do not generate air or water emissions and do not produce hazardous waste,” says AWEA. Wind power is unique in the way that it causes no real harm to the environment.
“A megawatt of wind energy can supply as much electricity as 225 to 300 households,” and the Renewable Energy Policy Project says that “every megawatt of installed wind capacity creates about 4.8 job-years of employment.”
The economic advantages of wind power are endless and have even been being utilized by school districts. At a school in Forest City, Iowa, “a turbine was recently erected as a school project [and] is expected to save $1.6 million in electricity costs over its lifetime.
Woodruff thinks this is a great idea for Union Township municipalities and is intrigued to see what will happen in the future.
The all-encompassing zoning ordinance is set to be finished approximately 60 days after its public hearing on Oct. 15.
According to William Woodruff, Union Township zoning administrator, “I have already had two inquiries so far of people who are interested in putting up wind generators.” The Union Township is using the model ordinance to build upon and be proactive about having the ordinance in place.
“I try to anticipate the concerns of the general public and one may be the visual aspect,” says Woodruff.
The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) discusses that visual impacts can be decreased with careful planning and good design. A few of the other concerns that may arise in the general public are birds being killed by the turbines and noise issues. A study by Erikson shows that less than 10,000 bird fatalities can be related to wind turbines, when 800,000 are related to high tension lines.
Source: Erickson, et.al, 2002. Summary of Anthropogenic Causes of Bird Mortality
As a result of improved engineering, AWEA says that aerodynamic noise can be reduced by just minimal design changes. For example, by changing the thickness of the blades or changing the direction of the tower can reduce noise.
Wind powered energy systems “do not generate air or water emissions and do not produce hazardous waste,” says AWEA. Wind power is unique in the way that it causes no real harm to the environment.
“A megawatt of wind energy can supply as much electricity as 225 to 300 households,” and the Renewable Energy Policy Project says that “every megawatt of installed wind capacity creates about 4.8 job-years of employment.”
The economic advantages of wind power are endless and have even been being utilized by school districts. At a school in Forest City, Iowa, “a turbine was recently erected as a school project [and] is expected to save $1.6 million in electricity costs over its lifetime.
Woodruff thinks this is a great idea for Union Township municipalities and is intrigued to see what will happen in the future.
The all-encompassing zoning ordinance is set to be finished approximately 60 days after its public hearing on Oct. 15.
Hot Diggity Dog
Renaissance Charter School hosted they’re fifth annual “Hot Diggity Dog Night” last Wednesday and raised over $1,600 in book sales.
Last Wednesday the families of Renaissance students were invited to join staff at the fifth annual “Hot Diggity Dog Night”. The families were treated to a free dinner in the front parking lot of the school.
The event had a positive turnout, and according to Principal David Krauss over 50 percent of the families showed up.
“The parking lot was packed," said Krauss . As fast as I was grilling hot dogs they were going.”
The event began at 4 p.m. and was teamed with the schools book fair. The book fair rose over $1,600 in book sales.
The book fair was open to students Monday and Tuesday. Students had a chance to go in a couple days prior to the event to browse for books that interested them.
“The idea was that students could find books that they liked, and then their parents could buy the books for them when they came on Wednesday,” said Krauss.
The event also had informational booths set up for parents to look at and ask questions. The Cub Scouts and Imagine Charter Schools both had booths set up at the event for parents to talk and get information.
The event was a large success financially and gave the staff of Renaissance a chance to build more relationships with the parents of students.
“I like that parents and families can come here and feel a part of something,” Krauss said.
Last Wednesday the families of Renaissance students were invited to join staff at the fifth annual “Hot Diggity Dog Night”. The families were treated to a free dinner in the front parking lot of the school.
The event had a positive turnout, and according to Principal David Krauss over 50 percent of the families showed up.
“The parking lot was packed," said Krauss . As fast as I was grilling hot dogs they were going.”
The event began at 4 p.m. and was teamed with the schools book fair. The book fair rose over $1,600 in book sales.
The book fair was open to students Monday and Tuesday. Students had a chance to go in a couple days prior to the event to browse for books that interested them.
“The idea was that students could find books that they liked, and then their parents could buy the books for them when they came on Wednesday,” said Krauss.
The event also had informational booths set up for parents to look at and ask questions. The Cub Scouts and Imagine Charter Schools both had booths set up at the event for parents to talk and get information.
The event was a large success financially and gave the staff of Renaissance a chance to build more relationships with the parents of students.
“I like that parents and families can come here and feel a part of something,” Krauss said.
Home-Broadcast FM Station Surprise Ratings Hit
by Jason Antoniewicz
Mt. Pleasant-based WQOS, a low-power FM classic rock station broadcasting out of a home, came out on top against some of the more established traditional stations in the summer ratings books.
Patricia Heitman, who is now in charge of the station, said the surprise was mutual.
"We got a call from Arbitron," she said. "The guy literally asked, 'who the hell are you guys? Do you guys even know how popular you are?'"
The grass roots success of the station has had commercial impact - but not for the station owner.
"We are the sore thorn in the side of (W)UPS," she said. "They have a hard time selling advertisements in this area because of us."
WQOS emanates from a regular household located a block off of Mission Street, playing music automatically from a desktop computer. It broadcasts approximately three miles in each direction from the antenna.
The station was the brainchild of John Heitman, a former Central Michigan University student who graduated from Ferris University with a broadcasting degree. Heitman, who grew up in the area, had a love for audio and video production.
"He always wanted a radio station," said his daughter Jennifer.
John picked the music on the station because of what he perceived to be a lack of good rock stations in the area.
"There isn't enough rock 'n' roll here," said his wife Patricia, paraphrasing her husband. "There's too much country and not enough rock 'n' roll. The college doesn't exactly know what their format is. And CZY is CZY."
WQOS always tried to be more than just another station playing rock songs.
"It's not just the top 40 music," Patricia said. "It's b-sides and live tracks."
When it came time to pick the station's call letters, daughter Jennifer was assigned the task. But the options were slim.
"Everything I thought of was taken," she said. "So I came up with WQOS. It stands for 'we question our sanity.'"
Initially, the station was more than just classic rock. On its launch, WQOS had news, weather, and even a morning show featuring station founder John Heitman. His daughter Jennifer remembers the first day.
"They would play a song, then talk. Play a song, then talk," she said. "I yelled at them to play at least three songs, THEN talk."
Shortly after the station launched, John passed away, leaving the station's care in the hands of friends and family.
Under Federal Communications Commission regulations, the station cannot accept advertising. WQOS uses the aid of underwriters to pay for operating costs, which includes a yearly payment for music licensing.
"Right now we're not playing any underwriters," Patricia said.
Mt. Pleasant-based WQOS, a low-power FM classic rock station broadcasting out of a home, came out on top against some of the more established traditional stations in the summer ratings books.
Patricia Heitman, who is now in charge of the station, said the surprise was mutual.
"We got a call from Arbitron," she said. "The guy literally asked, 'who the hell are you guys? Do you guys even know how popular you are?'"
The grass roots success of the station has had commercial impact - but not for the station owner.
"We are the sore thorn in the side of (W)UPS," she said. "They have a hard time selling advertisements in this area because of us."
WQOS emanates from a regular household located a block off of Mission Street, playing music automatically from a desktop computer. It broadcasts approximately three miles in each direction from the antenna.
The station was the brainchild of John Heitman, a former Central Michigan University student who graduated from Ferris University with a broadcasting degree. Heitman, who grew up in the area, had a love for audio and video production.
"He always wanted a radio station," said his daughter Jennifer.
John picked the music on the station because of what he perceived to be a lack of good rock stations in the area.
"There isn't enough rock 'n' roll here," said his wife Patricia, paraphrasing her husband. "There's too much country and not enough rock 'n' roll. The college doesn't exactly know what their format is. And CZY is CZY."
WQOS always tried to be more than just another station playing rock songs.
"It's not just the top 40 music," Patricia said. "It's b-sides and live tracks."
When it came time to pick the station's call letters, daughter Jennifer was assigned the task. But the options were slim.
"Everything I thought of was taken," she said. "So I came up with WQOS. It stands for 'we question our sanity.'"
Initially, the station was more than just classic rock. On its launch, WQOS had news, weather, and even a morning show featuring station founder John Heitman. His daughter Jennifer remembers the first day.
"They would play a song, then talk. Play a song, then talk," she said. "I yelled at them to play at least three songs, THEN talk."
Shortly after the station launched, John passed away, leaving the station's care in the hands of friends and family.
Under Federal Communications Commission regulations, the station cannot accept advertising. WQOS uses the aid of underwriters to pay for operating costs, which includes a yearly payment for music licensing.
"Right now we're not playing any underwriters," Patricia said.
Beads, Live Music and More Coming to Downtown Mount Pleasant
Head on downtown Friday and it will seem like you traveled to New Orleans. Downtown Mount Pleasant will be transformed into a New Orleans environment as the annual Mardi Gras festivities take place.
There will be plenty of activities for people to choose from. Besides the Mardi Gras Parade, with a special performance by the CMU Marching Band at Town Center after the parade, there will be face painting, an inflatable obstacle course, a dunk tank, live music and entertainment and much more.
This is an event that a person of any age can enjoy. Some people are going for their first time.
“I’ve never been before, but I hear it’s a big, giant block party,” said Jake Sproul, Redford senior.
There are many people that get involved to make this event a success.
“We play our halftime songs and the fight song,” said Pam Oriold, Sterling Heights senior and member of CMU’s Colorguard. “It’s very fun marching down Main Street and seeing the little kids with their faces painted and all the people with beads.”
Not only are there plenty of activities to check out, but there will be plenty of food for people to chow down. You can check out your favorite local restaurant or vendor for fajitas, burgers, kettle corn, BBQ and more.
This is a chance for the city to show off the downtown area and what they have to offer the residents of this city.
“I’m excited to see downtown Mount Pleasant come alive,” Sproul said.
The live music and entertainment is a big part of the festivities, along with some of the local pubs downtown.
“I’m very excited to see the bands play and do a little bar crawling action,” said Evan Huff, Macomb senior.
Mardi Gras is a special event that the city hopes all residents and out-of-towners enjoy. It’s something the people in the area should appreciate.
“It’s very nice to see Mount Pleasant put on an event like this for its citizens,” Huff said.
The events and activities for Mardi Gras kick-off at 3:00 p.m. and run through 10:00 p.m. To find a complete listing of all the events and activities and times, you can visit www.downtownmp.com or call (989) 779-5348 for more information.
There will be plenty of activities for people to choose from. Besides the Mardi Gras Parade, with a special performance by the CMU Marching Band at Town Center after the parade, there will be face painting, an inflatable obstacle course, a dunk tank, live music and entertainment and much more.
This is an event that a person of any age can enjoy. Some people are going for their first time.
“I’ve never been before, but I hear it’s a big, giant block party,” said Jake Sproul, Redford senior.
There are many people that get involved to make this event a success.
“We play our halftime songs and the fight song,” said Pam Oriold, Sterling Heights senior and member of CMU’s Colorguard. “It’s very fun marching down Main Street and seeing the little kids with their faces painted and all the people with beads.”
Not only are there plenty of activities to check out, but there will be plenty of food for people to chow down. You can check out your favorite local restaurant or vendor for fajitas, burgers, kettle corn, BBQ and more.
This is a chance for the city to show off the downtown area and what they have to offer the residents of this city.
“I’m excited to see downtown Mount Pleasant come alive,” Sproul said.
The live music and entertainment is a big part of the festivities, along with some of the local pubs downtown.
“I’m very excited to see the bands play and do a little bar crawling action,” said Evan Huff, Macomb senior.
Mardi Gras is a special event that the city hopes all residents and out-of-towners enjoy. It’s something the people in the area should appreciate.
“It’s very nice to see Mount Pleasant put on an event like this for its citizens,” Huff said.
The events and activities for Mardi Gras kick-off at 3:00 p.m. and run through 10:00 p.m. To find a complete listing of all the events and activities and times, you can visit www.downtownmp.com or call (989) 779-5348 for more information.
Helping Animals get a Second Chance
Helping Animals get a Second Chance
There is a saying that it takes a truly special type of person to adopt a child, well the same saying can be said about a person who adopts a cat or dog as well. The Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter as well as The Humane Animal Treatment Society or HATS are doing their best to make sure that their dogs and cats are leaving in good hands.
HATS is a non-profit organization formed in 1999 by local citizens to help Isabella County companion animals and to increase the number of concerned and responsible animal owners through educational and adoption programs, according to HATSweb.org.
The members of HATS volunteer many hours a week at the Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter, helping keep the place in the best shape possible and preparing the animals for adoption. Such duties include cleaning the kennels and cages, bathing the animals, and walking the animals as well.
“When adopting an animal from us the is a fee but with that fee we will take care of just about everything medically needed for you to take that animal home, said Toni Holmes a HATS volunteer of four years, with that fee the animal things such as rabies and flea shots, as well as being spayed and neutered.”
Not every dog and cat at the Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter is adopted however. The dog kennel can only hold 34 dogs and a majority of the time they are full, if an animal has been at the shelter for an extended period of time and has no real future of being adopted, the shelter does euthanize.
“ We would like to see all of our animals adopted but it just does not happen that way, the majority of the euthanized animals are the larger sized dogs, because they have a reputation to be mean and many people do not like to adopt them”, said Holmes.
Holmes however did say that puppies and smaller types of dogs generally do not have an extended stay at the shelter. Micki Christiansen, a Mount Pleasant resident, recently adopted a puppy from the Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter.
“I choose this animal shelter because of the proximity and convenience and also they had the type of dog I wanted there, I also heard very good reviews on their treatment of the animals as well, said Christiansen.
Christiansen, who already owns two dogs, said that owning an adopted dog is very different from owning one since it was a puppy.
“You have to give it more attention, especially if the dog is coming from an abusive situation. You also need to make sure the dog gets frequent bathroom breaks, I sometimes have to run home in the middle of the day just to let the dog out of the house”, said Christiansen.
Although it has been more work added onto an already busy schedule Christiansen said that owning the new puppy is absolutely worth it and recommends adopting others.
For more information on how to adopt or how to be a contributor to HATS, you can visit their website at www.HATSweb.org.
There is a saying that it takes a truly special type of person to adopt a child, well the same saying can be said about a person who adopts a cat or dog as well. The Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter as well as The Humane Animal Treatment Society or HATS are doing their best to make sure that their dogs and cats are leaving in good hands.
HATS is a non-profit organization formed in 1999 by local citizens to help Isabella County companion animals and to increase the number of concerned and responsible animal owners through educational and adoption programs, according to HATSweb.org.
The members of HATS volunteer many hours a week at the Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter, helping keep the place in the best shape possible and preparing the animals for adoption. Such duties include cleaning the kennels and cages, bathing the animals, and walking the animals as well.
“When adopting an animal from us the is a fee but with that fee we will take care of just about everything medically needed for you to take that animal home, said Toni Holmes a HATS volunteer of four years, with that fee the animal things such as rabies and flea shots, as well as being spayed and neutered.”
Not every dog and cat at the Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter is adopted however. The dog kennel can only hold 34 dogs and a majority of the time they are full, if an animal has been at the shelter for an extended period of time and has no real future of being adopted, the shelter does euthanize.
“ We would like to see all of our animals adopted but it just does not happen that way, the majority of the euthanized animals are the larger sized dogs, because they have a reputation to be mean and many people do not like to adopt them”, said Holmes.
Holmes however did say that puppies and smaller types of dogs generally do not have an extended stay at the shelter. Micki Christiansen, a Mount Pleasant resident, recently adopted a puppy from the Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter.
“I choose this animal shelter because of the proximity and convenience and also they had the type of dog I wanted there, I also heard very good reviews on their treatment of the animals as well, said Christiansen.
Christiansen, who already owns two dogs, said that owning an adopted dog is very different from owning one since it was a puppy.
“You have to give it more attention, especially if the dog is coming from an abusive situation. You also need to make sure the dog gets frequent bathroom breaks, I sometimes have to run home in the middle of the day just to let the dog out of the house”, said Christiansen.
Although it has been more work added onto an already busy schedule Christiansen said that owning the new puppy is absolutely worth it and recommends adopting others.
For more information on how to adopt or how to be a contributor to HATS, you can visit their website at www.HATSweb.org.
Journalsim adds new majors
Students of photojournalism and new media will finally be able to declare their majors in the fall of 2009.
This fall, photojournalism and new media will no longer be regulated to the “concentration” status. On Sept. 9, the academic senate ratified the new majors unanimously.
“In keeping with the times, students need the creative and technical skills to create online content,” said Kent Miller, a CMU journalism professor. “If they have those skills, they’re much more marketable. It presents an opportunity for new ways of storytelling.”
With the media shoveling its content from newsprint to the Internet, students are being given the opportunity to gain new skills.
“Viewers can demand different ways of receiving content,” Miller said.
One of these ways is demonstrated in Online Visual Storytelling, or JRN 423. Miller asks his students to create slideshows, videos, and online portfolios.
By offering both photojournalism and new media as a major, students will be able to boost their resumes when they meet with potential employers.
“The value of a major is your degree says ‘this is what your degree is in,’” said Maria Marron, the chairperson for the journalism department. Before, the degree only told employers that applicants were journalism majors, Marron said.
In creating the new majors, some new classes are being added to the curriculum. Some classes are being brought over from other departments while some are being created.
For example, a few of the classes the department is adding are Online Journalism, Online Visual Storytelling, and Multimedia Reporting. These will be part of the new photojournalism major.
To meet these demands, new professors will be added.
The additions of these majors have been in the works since April of 2005.
Students may be able to enroll in one or two of the new classes by as early as this spring, Marron said.
This fall, photojournalism and new media will no longer be regulated to the “concentration” status. On Sept. 9, the academic senate ratified the new majors unanimously.
“In keeping with the times, students need the creative and technical skills to create online content,” said Kent Miller, a CMU journalism professor. “If they have those skills, they’re much more marketable. It presents an opportunity for new ways of storytelling.”
With the media shoveling its content from newsprint to the Internet, students are being given the opportunity to gain new skills.
“Viewers can demand different ways of receiving content,” Miller said.
One of these ways is demonstrated in Online Visual Storytelling, or JRN 423. Miller asks his students to create slideshows, videos, and online portfolios.
By offering both photojournalism and new media as a major, students will be able to boost their resumes when they meet with potential employers.
“The value of a major is your degree says ‘this is what your degree is in,’” said Maria Marron, the chairperson for the journalism department. Before, the degree only told employers that applicants were journalism majors, Marron said.
In creating the new majors, some new classes are being added to the curriculum. Some classes are being brought over from other departments while some are being created.
For example, a few of the classes the department is adding are Online Journalism, Online Visual Storytelling, and Multimedia Reporting. These will be part of the new photojournalism major.
To meet these demands, new professors will be added.
The additions of these majors have been in the works since April of 2005.
Students may be able to enroll in one or two of the new classes by as early as this spring, Marron said.
Truancy Policy At Shepherd Middle School
“Education is a shared responsibility, requiring cooperation among the student, home, school, and community.”
That is one of Shepherd Middle School’s many beliefs and a truancy policy passed last week reflect those exact words.
The policy was adopted by Beal City, Mt. Pleasant, and Shepherd school districts to decrease the amount of “no-shows” in the classroom.
Children ages 6 through 16 are required by state law to attend school, but not all students and parents abide by these regulations.
Students caught skipping frequently will consequently hear from the Isabella County prosecuting attorney's office.
Shepherd Middle School’s principal, Phyllis Hall, is confident truancy is not an issue among its 340 pupils.
“We have very few problems with students skipping,” Hall said. “Most of the time it’s the parents not putting their children first.”
The countywide policy serves as a reminder that education should not be taken advantage of and there is a price to pay for habitual skipping.
The negative outcome for truancy issues is easy to avoid. Go to class.
“The policy is similar to the attendance procedure we have in place already, but it’s a good thing to have when you need it,” Hall said. “It will hold the parents accountable too.”
After multiple unexcused absences, the RESD gets involved and a letter is sent.
“I commend Prosecutor Larry Burdick and his office for becoming actively involved,” Hall said.
With the continuous encouragement of parents, teachers and the community, this policy might be the solution needed to end frequent absences among specific students.
The truancy policy was implemented in agreement with the Isabella County Trial Court's Family Division, the Gratiot/Isabella Regional Education Service District, public and private school officials, and prosecuting attorney's office.
That is one of Shepherd Middle School’s many beliefs and a truancy policy passed last week reflect those exact words.
The policy was adopted by Beal City, Mt. Pleasant, and Shepherd school districts to decrease the amount of “no-shows” in the classroom.
Children ages 6 through 16 are required by state law to attend school, but not all students and parents abide by these regulations.
Students caught skipping frequently will consequently hear from the Isabella County prosecuting attorney's office.
Shepherd Middle School’s principal, Phyllis Hall, is confident truancy is not an issue among its 340 pupils.
“We have very few problems with students skipping,” Hall said. “Most of the time it’s the parents not putting their children first.”
The countywide policy serves as a reminder that education should not be taken advantage of and there is a price to pay for habitual skipping.
The negative outcome for truancy issues is easy to avoid. Go to class.
“The policy is similar to the attendance procedure we have in place already, but it’s a good thing to have when you need it,” Hall said. “It will hold the parents accountable too.”
After multiple unexcused absences, the RESD gets involved and a letter is sent.
“I commend Prosecutor Larry Burdick and his office for becoming actively involved,” Hall said.
With the continuous encouragement of parents, teachers and the community, this policy might be the solution needed to end frequent absences among specific students.
The truancy policy was implemented in agreement with the Isabella County Trial Court's Family Division, the Gratiot/Isabella Regional Education Service District, public and private school officials, and prosecuting attorney's office.
Super 8 motel robbed by...nobody?
An investigation of a robbery at a Super 8 motel has determined that there was no robbery after all.
"It has been determined that an armed robbery did not occur,"
the Mount Pleasant Police Department said in a press release.
"The motel employee who reported the robbery instead gave the
money to an acquaintance."
The employee told police that he was robbed at gunpoint by a
black man around 6 feet tall. He claimed the suspect to be
around 250 pounds, in his early to mid-20s, and muscular with
facial hair, the police said.
The employee reported the supposed incident at 3:30 a.m. on
Sept. 6.
After investigating, it was discovered that the employee, a
clerk at the hotel, was actually working together with the
"robber." The "robber" is a 25-year-old male from Detroit.
The clerk, a 22-year-old Mount Pleasant man, reported the
robbery to attempt to cover up the fact that they worked
together to steal the money, said Dave Sabuda, a MPPD public
information officer.
"He just lied," Sabuda said. Sabuda would not release the
names of either individual until charges have been filed.
Neither of the men were students at Central Michigan
University, however.
Felony charges have been requested from the Isabella County
Prosecuter's office on both men.
"It has been determined that an armed robbery did not occur,"
the Mount Pleasant Police Department said in a press release.
"The motel employee who reported the robbery instead gave the
money to an acquaintance."
The employee told police that he was robbed at gunpoint by a
black man around 6 feet tall. He claimed the suspect to be
around 250 pounds, in his early to mid-20s, and muscular with
facial hair, the police said.
The employee reported the supposed incident at 3:30 a.m. on
Sept. 6.
After investigating, it was discovered that the employee, a
clerk at the hotel, was actually working together with the
"robber." The "robber" is a 25-year-old male from Detroit.
The clerk, a 22-year-old Mount Pleasant man, reported the
robbery to attempt to cover up the fact that they worked
together to steal the money, said Dave Sabuda, a MPPD public
information officer.
"He just lied," Sabuda said. Sabuda would not release the
names of either individual until charges have been filed.
Neither of the men were students at Central Michigan
University, however.
Felony charges have been requested from the Isabella County
Prosecuter's office on both men.
Renovations at Target Hope to Boost Business
By: Nick Baker
The Mount Pleasant Target has been renovating their store for months, but with many other shopping choices available to city residents, such as Wal-Mart and Meijer, will the new features be enough to bring in more customers?
The renovations for the Target include a redesigning of the stores interior, adding new flooring and fixtures in many places. In addition, the outside of the store will also receive a new design scheme, making it more consistent with newer Target stores.
Along with the upgrades to store appearance, Target will now offer more goods and services for its customers.
An expanded grocery department, consisting of additional food products and a wall length cooler for frozen goods, will now be accessible. Also a Starbucks will be opened where the pre-existing food court used to be.
According to Scott Gordon, a manager at the Mount Pleasant Target, the renovations will hopefully increase the stores business.
“The plan for the renovations was decided by the corporate office,” said Gordon, “It’s something they are doing all over the country to better the quality of the stores and make the shopping experience easier for our customers.
With college students being a large market in Mount Pleasant, these improvements hope to appeal to the Central Michigan University demographic. With more food and coffee being offered to customers, Target hopes to bring in college age kids for both their grocery and shopping needs.
Eric Wilson, a sophomore at CMU from Berkley MI, thinks that the renovations could bring in more business from students who live off campus.
“I really like Target,” said Wilson, “They have good prices on all their merchandise. If that carries over to the new stuff they are going to offer, I would start buying my groceries there.”
The Target in Mount Pleasant, located on Blue Grass Road near Mission st., started their renovations late this summer and plan on finishing by Oct. 16th.
The Mount Pleasant Target has been renovating their store for months, but with many other shopping choices available to city residents, such as Wal-Mart and Meijer, will the new features be enough to bring in more customers?
The renovations for the Target include a redesigning of the stores interior, adding new flooring and fixtures in many places. In addition, the outside of the store will also receive a new design scheme, making it more consistent with newer Target stores.
Along with the upgrades to store appearance, Target will now offer more goods and services for its customers.
An expanded grocery department, consisting of additional food products and a wall length cooler for frozen goods, will now be accessible. Also a Starbucks will be opened where the pre-existing food court used to be.
According to Scott Gordon, a manager at the Mount Pleasant Target, the renovations will hopefully increase the stores business.
“The plan for the renovations was decided by the corporate office,” said Gordon, “It’s something they are doing all over the country to better the quality of the stores and make the shopping experience easier for our customers.
With college students being a large market in Mount Pleasant, these improvements hope to appeal to the Central Michigan University demographic. With more food and coffee being offered to customers, Target hopes to bring in college age kids for both their grocery and shopping needs.
Eric Wilson, a sophomore at CMU from Berkley MI, thinks that the renovations could bring in more business from students who live off campus.
“I really like Target,” said Wilson, “They have good prices on all their merchandise. If that carries over to the new stuff they are going to offer, I would start buying my groceries there.”
The Target in Mount Pleasant, located on Blue Grass Road near Mission st., started their renovations late this summer and plan on finishing by Oct. 16th.
Shepherd High School Football Stadium
Imagine 2,000 fans cheering for the Bluejays in an illuminated football stadium at Shepherd High School.
Once the 2009 season begins, imagine no more.
Ground work for the project began in late June, and although there were complications early on, progress is still being made.
“The seed for the football field will be planted by the end of September,” said assistant principal and athletic director, Wendy Bridges.
The football field is being built adjacent to their current one, in the rear of the high school building. A new scoreboard and press box is also a part of the project.
“The construction hasn’t caused any parking problems yet, but baseball and softball seasons could see some concerns,” Bridges said.
CMU junior Andrew Keck works for the football team and spoke highly of the changes he has noticed.
“When all is said and done, it looks like they'll have a much better field than what they have now,” Keck said.
Another renovation being made is the school’s track, which is being made around the football field.
“We haven’t held a track meet in over 15 years because it’s in such bad condition,” said SHS alumna Jodi Timmer. “It’s a big deal.”
Along with the track, the new gymnasium is the most anticipated renovation by students and faculty.
With an enrollment of 530 students, Shepherd High School and the community cannot wait to utilize the numerous changes.
The cost of the project comes from a nearly $30 million bond issue passed by school board members last November for improvements within the Shepherd Public School district.
Once the 2009 season begins, imagine no more.
Ground work for the project began in late June, and although there were complications early on, progress is still being made.
“The seed for the football field will be planted by the end of September,” said assistant principal and athletic director, Wendy Bridges.
The football field is being built adjacent to their current one, in the rear of the high school building. A new scoreboard and press box is also a part of the project.
“The construction hasn’t caused any parking problems yet, but baseball and softball seasons could see some concerns,” Bridges said.
CMU junior Andrew Keck works for the football team and spoke highly of the changes he has noticed.
“When all is said and done, it looks like they'll have a much better field than what they have now,” Keck said.
Another renovation being made is the school’s track, which is being made around the football field.
“We haven’t held a track meet in over 15 years because it’s in such bad condition,” said SHS alumna Jodi Timmer. “It’s a big deal.”
Along with the track, the new gymnasium is the most anticipated renovation by students and faculty.
With an enrollment of 530 students, Shepherd High School and the community cannot wait to utilize the numerous changes.
The cost of the project comes from a nearly $30 million bond issue passed by school board members last November for improvements within the Shepherd Public School district.
Gas Madness
By: Lindsey Noel
Last Friday the threat of gas prices rising as high as seven dollars a gallon had Mount Pleasant in a state of chaos.
The reason for the rumors and anxiety was Hurricane Ike threatening Texas oil refineries where a significant percent of the gasoline that Americans use every day comes from. There are 24 oil refineries in Texas, including the nation’s largest, and many of them were directly in the path of Hurricane Ike.
“I got a call from my mom when she was driving through Jackson, Mich. and she said she passed a gas station that had $5.27 a gallon posted,” said Mike Barron, a Central Michigan University Senior from Lansing. “So naturally, I told all my friends to go fill up their tanks.”
Gas stations up and down Mission St. were lined with people waiting to fill up their tanks with prices around $3.98 per gallon. In many cases, the lines of cars spilled out on to the road causing traffic back ups.
“I waited in line for a good 20-30 minutes and while I was waiting I was calling my friends and family to make sure they knew what was going on,” said Bryanna Hecksel, a CMU senior from Ravenna, Mich.
Psychology Professor Jennifer Ragsdale relates the craziness at the gas pumps to the Y2K or the bird flu.
“It’s just one of those things where people in large numbers seem to have this tendency to jump on any sort of potential 'crisis,'” says Ragsdale. “Also, I think people in general are very uncomfortable with uncertainty. So any sort of uncertainty about the end result of the quick jump in gas prices would be reason enough to run to the pumps while things are still at a 'lower' price.”
Gas never did get to be five dollars a gallon in Mount Pleasant but it did jump up to $4.20 per gallon.
Last Friday the threat of gas prices rising as high as seven dollars a gallon had Mount Pleasant in a state of chaos.
The reason for the rumors and anxiety was Hurricane Ike threatening Texas oil refineries where a significant percent of the gasoline that Americans use every day comes from. There are 24 oil refineries in Texas, including the nation’s largest, and many of them were directly in the path of Hurricane Ike.
“I got a call from my mom when she was driving through Jackson, Mich. and she said she passed a gas station that had $5.27 a gallon posted,” said Mike Barron, a Central Michigan University Senior from Lansing. “So naturally, I told all my friends to go fill up their tanks.”
Gas stations up and down Mission St. were lined with people waiting to fill up their tanks with prices around $3.98 per gallon. In many cases, the lines of cars spilled out on to the road causing traffic back ups.
“I waited in line for a good 20-30 minutes and while I was waiting I was calling my friends and family to make sure they knew what was going on,” said Bryanna Hecksel, a CMU senior from Ravenna, Mich.
Psychology Professor Jennifer Ragsdale relates the craziness at the gas pumps to the Y2K or the bird flu.
“It’s just one of those things where people in large numbers seem to have this tendency to jump on any sort of potential 'crisis,'” says Ragsdale. “Also, I think people in general are very uncomfortable with uncertainty. So any sort of uncertainty about the end result of the quick jump in gas prices would be reason enough to run to the pumps while things are still at a 'lower' price.”
Gas never did get to be five dollars a gallon in Mount Pleasant but it did jump up to $4.20 per gallon.
Notifcation Technology Improves Communication at CMU
Since the Central Alert emergency notification system was implemented in January, the biggest hurdle for Mike Reuter is being able to manage its power.
“We have overloaded the circuits before when doing tests,” he said. “When this happens no one is able to send or receive calls during that time.”
Reuter, manager of technical services at Central Michigan University, oversees the interface for Central Alert, a system which can send out more than 11,000 phone calls in a matter of 30 seconds.
Now he offsets the delivery of messages by a couple of seconds to avoid overloading the circuits again.
The system has more than 11,600 outlets registered to receive messages, which includes mediated classrooms, cell phones and loud speakers throughout CMU. This number continues to grow as more students and faculty register their cell phone numbers.
“I registered my phone last week,” said Lauren Shield, a Clinton Township senior. “It’s just good to be safe in case of an emergency. It’s convenient too, if there were a school closing or snow day.”
Since the beginning of the fall semester more than 1,000 students and faculty have registered with the alert system.
The technology is outsourced from 3n, a company specializing in mass notification system technologies. According to 3nonline.com, the company provides communication for than 2,000 corporations, healthcare systems, universities and government agencies.
Reuter is able to manage the system simply by logging into the company’s online interface.
The alert system is tested once a month by the Central Michigan Police Department. Reuter said there have been few problems during those tests.
“We have received some complaints from professors who were in the middle of lectures and the tests came on through their class,” Reuter said. “But other than that it’s been a smooth process and we are happy with the results.”
One of the best features of the system is its ability to pinpoint where there is an emergency.
“If there were a tornado on campus – we could send out a text and people could push a number on their phone if they needed help and we could go directly to the problem,” Reuter said.
For more information about the system or to register, login myaccount.cmich.edu and click on "Emergency Notification."
“We have overloaded the circuits before when doing tests,” he said. “When this happens no one is able to send or receive calls during that time.”
Reuter, manager of technical services at Central Michigan University, oversees the interface for Central Alert, a system which can send out more than 11,000 phone calls in a matter of 30 seconds.
Now he offsets the delivery of messages by a couple of seconds to avoid overloading the circuits again.
The system has more than 11,600 outlets registered to receive messages, which includes mediated classrooms, cell phones and loud speakers throughout CMU. This number continues to grow as more students and faculty register their cell phone numbers.
“I registered my phone last week,” said Lauren Shield, a Clinton Township senior. “It’s just good to be safe in case of an emergency. It’s convenient too, if there were a school closing or snow day.”
Since the beginning of the fall semester more than 1,000 students and faculty have registered with the alert system.
The technology is outsourced from 3n, a company specializing in mass notification system technologies. According to 3nonline.com, the company provides communication for than 2,000 corporations, healthcare systems, universities and government agencies.
Reuter is able to manage the system simply by logging into the company’s online interface.
The alert system is tested once a month by the Central Michigan Police Department. Reuter said there have been few problems during those tests.
“We have received some complaints from professors who were in the middle of lectures and the tests came on through their class,” Reuter said. “But other than that it’s been a smooth process and we are happy with the results.”
One of the best features of the system is its ability to pinpoint where there is an emergency.
“If there were a tornado on campus – we could send out a text and people could push a number on their phone if they needed help and we could go directly to the problem,” Reuter said.
For more information about the system or to register, login myaccount.cmich.edu and click on "Emergency Notification."
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Renaissance Growing and Expanding
Renaissance Academy is growing every year and making some major additions to the facility.
Renaissance Academy has grown a great deal in the past years. With 303 students currently in its’ K-8 program the old facility is changing.
This past summer Renaissance added 30 new spots to the original parking lot. The spots were added because of parent suggestions.
“There just was not enough space. We needed to add more parking because of our growth,” said Principal David Krauss.
In addition to the parking spots, this week construction will begin on a $150,000 playground facility.
Additions are nothing new to Renaissance. With 10% growth every year for the past 8, the school has always been changing.
“We added 8 classrooms in the past and possibly will have to add 4 more next year. We also added a brand new gym in 2006. ” Krauss said.
Although Renaissance is growing every year, Krauss does not think that adding a high school is a good idea.
“I believe that charter schools should find their niche. High school is not that niche,” Krauss said.
Krauss believes that attendance may actually even go down in the K-8 if a high school was added.
“High school students use a lot of language that parents do not like their children to be around and they will take their kids somewhere else,” Krauss said.
Krauss is happy about the growth of the K-8 and believes that Renaissance is at a good size right now. The school is functioning well at its size.
“I think we’re at a really good size. I think we would lose some of our personal touch if we grew much more,” Krauss said.
Renaissance Academy has grown a great deal in the past years. With 303 students currently in its’ K-8 program the old facility is changing.
This past summer Renaissance added 30 new spots to the original parking lot. The spots were added because of parent suggestions.
“There just was not enough space. We needed to add more parking because of our growth,” said Principal David Krauss.
In addition to the parking spots, this week construction will begin on a $150,000 playground facility.
Additions are nothing new to Renaissance. With 10% growth every year for the past 8, the school has always been changing.
“We added 8 classrooms in the past and possibly will have to add 4 more next year. We also added a brand new gym in 2006. ” Krauss said.
Although Renaissance is growing every year, Krauss does not think that adding a high school is a good idea.
“I believe that charter schools should find their niche. High school is not that niche,” Krauss said.
Krauss believes that attendance may actually even go down in the K-8 if a high school was added.
“High school students use a lot of language that parents do not like their children to be around and they will take their kids somewhere else,” Krauss said.
Krauss is happy about the growth of the K-8 and believes that Renaissance is at a good size right now. The school is functioning well at its size.
“I think we’re at a really good size. I think we would lose some of our personal touch if we grew much more,” Krauss said.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Resiliency Defines Editor in Chief's Life
As Editor in Chief of Central Michigan Life, dealing with adversity is part of the job, but that’s nothing new for Jake May.
May, 22, has faced challenges that people twice his age may have yet to endure.
At age 8, May’s mother, Linda Wallwood, divorced his father after learning he had been cheating on her.
“I remember going to the skeet range with my dad once or twice where he met this woman and I didn’t know at the time what was going on because I was so young,” May said.
In the few months after the divorce, May’s father married the woman and adopted her daughter.
May wouldn't hear from his father for more than 10 years.
About a year after the divorce, May, his mother and his older brother Josh moved to Jensen Beach, Fla. where his mother remarried a man she worked with at the U.S. Post Office.
But after a string of verbal and physical abuse, May’s mother filed for divorce.
“Many nights I would be in bed but not sleeping,” May said. “They would argue over money, my brother and me.”
Soon after the divorce, 13-year-old May and his mother returned to his hometown in Grand Haven, Mich.
“It was really hard for me coming back, I didn’t know anyone and I had to work hard to make friends,” May said. “I think it was those years that really helped to develop the personality I have and the person I am today.”
It was during those high school years that May discovered his passion for journalism, starting out shooting photos for the student newspaper.
“I just picked up a camera and was able to get my mind off the things that were going on at home,” May said.
At home money was tight. Jake’s mother had retired from the post office and started a bakery, but filed for bankruptcy after the business failed.
Wallwood returned to the post office and was forced to work long hours to support Jake and his brother, who was now in college. As a result, she was unable to witness many of May’s achievements throughout high school.
In his senior year, May received 14 awards from the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association for his work with the student newspaper.
May started working at Central Michigan Life in September of 2006. In that semester he wrote more than 50 stories.
“With journalism Jake has always just jumped right into it,” Wallwood said. “He pushes himself and is persistent and he is always going forward in his life.”
As May began to find a place in the journalism world, adversity struck again.
In November his mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
“My mom has worked so hard all her life just to keep my brother and me going,” May said. “To see her so physically drained – it’s tough.”
Wallwood said her son has a personality that can withstand tough times.
“Jake is the kind of person who sees things and knows there are always ways to go forward and find what you need to do to go on,” Wallwood said.
It is his resilient attitude which has allowed him to get to where he is today.
“I knew the day I walked into CM-Life that I wanted to be editor in chief before I graduated,” May said.
Brian McLean, Central Michigan Life managing editor, said he owes much of his professional achievements to May’s motivational attitude.
“If it weren’t for Jake pushing me my first semester at CM-Life, I probably wouldn’t have done half as much as I did,” McLean said.
May said he has tried to learn from the events that have shaped his life.
“There were times when I thought it couldn’t get worse and it did,” May said. “And I wouldn’t change any of it because I wouldn’t be the man I am today.”
May, 22, has faced challenges that people twice his age may have yet to endure.
At age 8, May’s mother, Linda Wallwood, divorced his father after learning he had been cheating on her.
“I remember going to the skeet range with my dad once or twice where he met this woman and I didn’t know at the time what was going on because I was so young,” May said.
In the few months after the divorce, May’s father married the woman and adopted her daughter.
May wouldn't hear from his father for more than 10 years.
About a year after the divorce, May, his mother and his older brother Josh moved to Jensen Beach, Fla. where his mother remarried a man she worked with at the U.S. Post Office.
But after a string of verbal and physical abuse, May’s mother filed for divorce.
“Many nights I would be in bed but not sleeping,” May said. “They would argue over money, my brother and me.”
Soon after the divorce, 13-year-old May and his mother returned to his hometown in Grand Haven, Mich.
“It was really hard for me coming back, I didn’t know anyone and I had to work hard to make friends,” May said. “I think it was those years that really helped to develop the personality I have and the person I am today.”
It was during those high school years that May discovered his passion for journalism, starting out shooting photos for the student newspaper.
“I just picked up a camera and was able to get my mind off the things that were going on at home,” May said.
At home money was tight. Jake’s mother had retired from the post office and started a bakery, but filed for bankruptcy after the business failed.
Wallwood returned to the post office and was forced to work long hours to support Jake and his brother, who was now in college. As a result, she was unable to witness many of May’s achievements throughout high school.
In his senior year, May received 14 awards from the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association for his work with the student newspaper.
May started working at Central Michigan Life in September of 2006. In that semester he wrote more than 50 stories.
“With journalism Jake has always just jumped right into it,” Wallwood said. “He pushes himself and is persistent and he is always going forward in his life.”
As May began to find a place in the journalism world, adversity struck again.
In November his mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
“My mom has worked so hard all her life just to keep my brother and me going,” May said. “To see her so physically drained – it’s tough.”
Wallwood said her son has a personality that can withstand tough times.
“Jake is the kind of person who sees things and knows there are always ways to go forward and find what you need to do to go on,” Wallwood said.
It is his resilient attitude which has allowed him to get to where he is today.
“I knew the day I walked into CM-Life that I wanted to be editor in chief before I graduated,” May said.
Brian McLean, Central Michigan Life managing editor, said he owes much of his professional achievements to May’s motivational attitude.
“If it weren’t for Jake pushing me my first semester at CM-Life, I probably wouldn’t have done half as much as I did,” McLean said.
May said he has tried to learn from the events that have shaped his life.
“There were times when I thought it couldn’t get worse and it did,” May said. “And I wouldn’t change any of it because I wouldn’t be the man I am today.”
Monday, September 15, 2008
Hooters: Where do they go now?
Hooters restaurant isn't coming to Mount Pleasant quite yet. The Mount Pleasant Planning Commission voted unanimously on September 4 to reject a special use permit to Hooters restaurant.
Jeff Gray, City Planner for the City of Mount Pleasant, said that Hooters was initially approved for a special use permit as long as they provided an acceptable site plan. The commission was given a plan that was not adequate for the neighborhood, Gray said.
Now, where does Hooters go from here? There is still the possibility the restaurant could open up at the 1329 S. Mission St. location.
Working on the fencing, changing the curb layouts and changing the parking lot layout are some of the things they can do to make the location work, Gray said.
According to Gray, they could also look into changing their hours of operations, making the masonry wall taller and creating traffic control to direct traffic leaving the restaurant away from the neighborhood.
Hooters can appeal the decision to the Zoning Board of Appeals and make their case on why the commission denial was not correct, Gray said.
Hooter's plans are not known right now and phone calls were not returned.
Also, the Planning Commission has not denied Hooters from building in the city.
"The Commission didn't say the restaurant couldn't go somewhere in the city," said Gray. "It's jus not appropriate for that location."
Hooters and it's owners seem determined to open a restaurant in Mount Pleasant. Whether it's on Mission or Broomfield or wherever, we could have some new wings flying into town sometime soon.
The Story of an Obama Staffer
by Kyle Charland
Barack Obama staffer Max Blachman has his hands deep in a historic presidential election.
Blachman grew up in a strongly Democratic family. Though his parents were heavy into politics, his interest wasn’t sparked until he went to college.
The 23-year-old attended the College of Charleston and majored in political science. While in school, he worked on several campaigns and was active with the local and state Democratic Party.
“I spent about six months in D.C. as an intern in Congressman James E. Clyburn’s (D-SC) office and working with the House Democratic Caucus,” Blachman explained.
The amazing experience gave him the opportunity to assist with office duties and learn a lot about the legislative process.
Inspired by a speech Obama gave in Charleston, S.C., Blachman applied with the presidential hopeful in his final weeks of college.
“I graduated on May 13, 2007, and I was in Columbia, S.C., working the following week,” he said.
He was hired as a field organizer for northeast Columbia, where he worked for eight months before the South Carolina Democratic primary.
After the primary wrapped up, Blachman then went on to organize “get out and vote” efforts in Georgia, Louisiana and Texas.
“I was then hired as a regional field director in Pennsylvania where I worked for seven weeks before heading out to Indianapolis where I was the regional “get out and vote” director,” said Blachman.
After a six-day break, two of which were spent on the road, he then headed to Ohio to be a part of the transition team.
“I was the first staffer on the ground in Ohio while the primary campaign was still sputtering to a halt around the country,” Blachman explained.
Five weeks later, Blachman was hired as the regional field director for Northern Franklin County, which includes parts of Columbus and surrounding suburbs.
Now his passion for the political process is turning on the general election, which he hopes all his blood, sweat and tears will lend a hand in getting his candidate elected.
“There isn’t a day that goes by where I’m not grateful for the opportunity to be a part of what I believe is the most critical election of our lifetime. We have the opportunity to right the wrongs of the last eight years and do so much good,” Blachman said. “It keeps me at work late and helps me throw off the covers in the morning when all I want to do is sleep.”
by Kyle Charland
Barack Obama staffer Max Blachman has his hands deep in a historic presidential election.
Blachman grew up in a strongly Democratic family. Though his parents were heavy into politics, his interest wasn’t sparked until he went to college.
The 23-year-old attended the College of Charleston and majored in political science. While in school, he worked on several campaigns and was active with the local and state Democratic Party.
“I spent about six months in D.C. as an intern in Congressman James E. Clyburn’s (D-SC) office and working with the House Democratic Caucus,” Blachman explained.
The amazing experience gave him the opportunity to assist with office duties and learn a lot about the legislative process.
Inspired by a speech Obama gave in Charleston, S.C., Blachman applied with the presidential hopeful in his final weeks of college.
“I graduated on May 13, 2007, and I was in Columbia, S.C., working the following week,” he said.
He was hired as a field organizer for northeast Columbia, where he worked for eight months before the South Carolina Democratic primary.
After the primary wrapped up, Blachman then went on to organize “get out and vote” efforts in Georgia, Louisiana and Texas.
“I was then hired as a regional field director in Pennsylvania where I worked for seven weeks before heading out to Indianapolis where I was the regional “get out and vote” director,” said Blachman.
After a six-day break, two of which were spent on the road, he then headed to Ohio to be a part of the transition team.
“I was the first staffer on the ground in Ohio while the primary campaign was still sputtering to a halt around the country,” Blachman explained.
Five weeks later, Blachman was hired as the regional field director for Northern Franklin County, which includes parts of Columbus and surrounding suburbs.
Now his passion for the political process is turning on the general election, which he hopes all his blood, sweat and tears will lend a hand in getting his candidate elected.
“There isn’t a day that goes by where I’m not grateful for the opportunity to be a part of what I believe is the most critical election of our lifetime. We have the opportunity to right the wrongs of the last eight years and do so much good,” Blachman said. “It keeps me at work late and helps me throw off the covers in the morning when all I want to do is sleep.”
Get Outside and Fall Into Fun
By: Chelsea Good
Looking for a great reason to head outdoors this fall? There are dozens of fun fall activities in and around Mt. Pleasant. Whether you want to take a date on a hayride, take the kids to pick pumpkins, or chase your friends through a corn maze, there is something for everyone.
Papa’s Pumpkin Patch and Country Farm Market, 3909 South Summerton Road, is a favorite autumn destination with something to offer every member of the family. There is a market full of fresh fruits and vegetables, pumpkin train rides, a corn maze and a toy store. You can even climb Mt. Pleasant at Papa’s!
Papa’s annual Harvest Festival will be held this Saturday and Sunday. “The Harvest Festival features a kids play area, hayrides, and pumpkin picking”, said Bill Miller, owner of Papa’s Pumpkin Patch and Country Farm Market, and son of “Papa”.
Just a short drive down US 127 and you can get in on the fun fall activities at Uncle John’s. Uncle John’s Cider Mill is located at 8614 North US 127 in St. Johns. Uncle John’s features a cider mill, a winery, pie barn, gift shop, and many activities throughout their extended season.
Beginning this Saturday, visitors can try their hand at “The Fruit Fling”, a giant slingshot that catapults apples at a variety of targets. Horse drawn wagon rides are also offered to guests in September and October, along with access to Uncle John's five acre corn maze.
If cider and hayrides isn't your style, check out the Mardi Gras Parade through downtown Mt. Pleasant next Friday, September 26th, or head down to Island Park. The park hosts a farmers market Thursdays and Saturdays this fall.
Whatever you want to do this fall, get outside and enjoy it!
Looking for a great reason to head outdoors this fall? There are dozens of fun fall activities in and around Mt. Pleasant. Whether you want to take a date on a hayride, take the kids to pick pumpkins, or chase your friends through a corn maze, there is something for everyone.
Papa’s Pumpkin Patch and Country Farm Market, 3909 South Summerton Road, is a favorite autumn destination with something to offer every member of the family. There is a market full of fresh fruits and vegetables, pumpkin train rides, a corn maze and a toy store. You can even climb Mt. Pleasant at Papa’s!
Papa’s annual Harvest Festival will be held this Saturday and Sunday. “The Harvest Festival features a kids play area, hayrides, and pumpkin picking”, said Bill Miller, owner of Papa’s Pumpkin Patch and Country Farm Market, and son of “Papa”.
Just a short drive down US 127 and you can get in on the fun fall activities at Uncle John’s. Uncle John’s Cider Mill is located at 8614 North US 127 in St. Johns. Uncle John’s features a cider mill, a winery, pie barn, gift shop, and many activities throughout their extended season.
Beginning this Saturday, visitors can try their hand at “The Fruit Fling”, a giant slingshot that catapults apples at a variety of targets. Horse drawn wagon rides are also offered to guests in September and October, along with access to Uncle John's five acre corn maze.
If cider and hayrides isn't your style, check out the Mardi Gras Parade through downtown Mt. Pleasant next Friday, September 26th, or head down to Island Park. The park hosts a farmers market Thursdays and Saturdays this fall.
Whatever you want to do this fall, get outside and enjoy it!
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week
Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week took place September 5 to 12 in the Bryant Park Tents located at Sixth Ave. at 41st Street in New York City. This seasons up and coming fashions shown at Fashion Week made more than just a fashion statement.
The theme for the 2009 Spring Collection showings was Fashion Wins in correlation with the upcoming November elections. In the promotion of fashion week signs were hung throughout New York City reading Declare Your Style, Fashion = Change, Vote Fashion, and Ready to Vote.
With this season’s theme encouraging Americans to vote for our next president, no one in the tents had a problem casting their vote regarding the new couture. Each line varied in their own direction in regards to trends and concepts.
Fashion forecasters believe the color nude will be taken from the runway and become the popular color for everyday men and women this spring. Nude was also seen as a substitution for actual skin on the runway this fashion week. This translates to less cleavage and less bare skin.
“I will probably take what I see on the runway at fashion week and make it my own,” Central Michigan University Senior Jessica Halik says. “Usually, Fashion Week styles aren’t seen in the stores I shop at until months later. That’s when I decide what I like and what I am going to put into my own wardrobe.”
The colors, fabrics and silhouettes each fashion week typically influence clothing wherever you may shop. The ready-to-wear lines will begin popping up in higher end stores shortly and eventually end up in stores all over the world.
The theme for the 2009 Spring Collection showings was Fashion Wins in correlation with the upcoming November elections. In the promotion of fashion week signs were hung throughout New York City reading Declare Your Style, Fashion = Change, Vote Fashion, and Ready to Vote.
With this season’s theme encouraging Americans to vote for our next president, no one in the tents had a problem casting their vote regarding the new couture. Each line varied in their own direction in regards to trends and concepts.
Fashion forecasters believe the color nude will be taken from the runway and become the popular color for everyday men and women this spring. Nude was also seen as a substitution for actual skin on the runway this fashion week. This translates to less cleavage and less bare skin.
“I will probably take what I see on the runway at fashion week and make it my own,” Central Michigan University Senior Jessica Halik says. “Usually, Fashion Week styles aren’t seen in the stores I shop at until months later. That’s when I decide what I like and what I am going to put into my own wardrobe.”
The colors, fabrics and silhouettes each fashion week typically influence clothing wherever you may shop. The ready-to-wear lines will begin popping up in higher end stores shortly and eventually end up in stores all over the world.
The Blackberry: Quality Behind The Hype?
By: Nick Baker
According to Mat Bard, a wireless consultant at Alltel in Mount Pleasant, one out of every five phones they sell are Blackberries, making it one of their highest grossing products.
The Blackberry is becoming one of the most popular phones in America, with Mount Pleasant not far behind on the trend, but how reliable are these do-it-all devices?.
The Blackberry was first released in 1997 by the Canadian company Research In Motion, but never really caught on until 2002 when the Smartphone version was released. The Smartphone Blackberry supports e-mail, web browsing, and text messaging, as well as making phone calls.
Today the Blackberry has greatly expanded its Smartphone features, upgrading all the different functions within it, becoming the device that’s on the market today. The Blackberry seems to be the perfect piece of equipment, but is the phone without its faults? And does a rural county like Isabella get the same coverage as a more populated community?
According to Mat the Blackberry is in reality, almost flawless. “They support the largest coverage in the country,” said Bard, “We are also planning on upgrading soon, making the network even faster.”
All of Isabella County does not get excellent coverage though. Outlying areas, such as Lake Isabella, do have a weaker network. The coverage is still strong enough to not completely disable the phones connection, only slow it down.
The Blackberry itself is also a well made device. “I would highly recommend the Blackberry to customers,” said Bard, “it’s built with a metal chasse, making it extremely durable for whatever might happen to it.”
The Blackberry appears to be the perfect product, but what do the consumers think? David Wilt, a Blackberry owner and frequent traveler through Isabella County, says he is very happy with his purchase.
“I was eligible for a phone upgrade a few months ago, but didn’t take it,” said Wilt, “I love my Blackberry too much to replace it. I have never had a problem with its Internet connection of phone service.”
With few problems notable in the device and its service, it’s unlikely that we will be seeing the Blackberry go away very soon. Sales are up and praise is high for the do-it-all device, making the Blackberry a phone that really does live up to the hype.
Will new campground and RV park bring campers to Union Township despite high gas prices?
Wednesday, Aug. 20, Union Township made the decision to add one more campground and RV park to more than 1,000 already located in Michigan. Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe got the approval from the Union Township planning commission to rezone their property and have a total of 23.51 agricultural acres available for a new campground and RV park.
The request for rezoning made by Lisa Darnell, representative of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, was not following their original master plan, but the commission did find the expansion of agricultural land across Airport Road did conform to the master plan.
Upon the approval on Aug. 20, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe has plans to transform the 23.51 acres into a campground and upscale RV park. According to the Campground News, the first phase of building for the RV park will have 60 full hook up sites. Amenities offered to the campers will be sewer, picnic table, landscaping and a fire ring. Also being offered at the campground will be fishing, swimming, walking trail and a children’s play area.
A growing concern that may affect the new RV park is the rising gas prices. Are people still RVing with the major increases in costs to travel? The latest survey conducted by the Michigan Association of Recreation Vehicles and Campgrounds states that yes they still are traveling. More than a third of the RVers say that the fuel costs will not affect their travel plans. Even though the cost of gas keeps increasing, RVing is still one of the less costly vacations a family can take.
A future strategy that the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe can utilize to bring in campers is one like Timber Ridge Resort in Traverse City. The Michigan Association of Recreation Vehicles and Campgrounds that Timber ridge is using a fuel-saving incentive program to bring in campers during these harsh economical times. Campers who stay at the Timber Ridge Resort twice during the season are given a $20 gas card.
The request for rezoning made by Lisa Darnell, representative of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, was not following their original master plan, but the commission did find the expansion of agricultural land across Airport Road did conform to the master plan.
Upon the approval on Aug. 20, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe has plans to transform the 23.51 acres into a campground and upscale RV park. According to the Campground News, the first phase of building for the RV park will have 60 full hook up sites. Amenities offered to the campers will be sewer, picnic table, landscaping and a fire ring. Also being offered at the campground will be fishing, swimming, walking trail and a children’s play area.
A growing concern that may affect the new RV park is the rising gas prices. Are people still RVing with the major increases in costs to travel? The latest survey conducted by the Michigan Association of Recreation Vehicles and Campgrounds states that yes they still are traveling. More than a third of the RVers say that the fuel costs will not affect their travel plans. Even though the cost of gas keeps increasing, RVing is still one of the less costly vacations a family can take.
A future strategy that the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe can utilize to bring in campers is one like Timber Ridge Resort in Traverse City. The Michigan Association of Recreation Vehicles and Campgrounds that Timber ridge is using a fuel-saving incentive program to bring in campers during these harsh economical times. Campers who stay at the Timber Ridge Resort twice during the season are given a $20 gas card.
Staph Infection Prevalent at CMU
by Jason Antoniewicz
Central Michigan University Health Services has seen five potential cases of antibiotic-resistant staph infection within the past two weeks.
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, known more commonly as MRSA (pronounced "Mer-suh") infection, is a community-borne illness. Institutions such as prisons and college residence halls are common breeding ground for cases of MRSA.
According to Central Michigan District Health Department, MRSA can be contracted through open cuts and sores while sharing community items such as towels and athletic equipment. Symptoms include seeing a swollen, painful bump on your skin, as well as yellow discharge coming from that bump. Serious or untreated infections can lead to worse conditions like pneumonia, or even death.
Two departments on CMU's campus have reason to worry. Coming in contact with another person's towel is not uncommon in a residence hall setting.
Associate Director of Residence Life Joan Schmidt said she has fortunately only had to deal with minor cases of community-borne illness.
"We follow what Health Services tells us," Schmidt said. "They do the investigating and they tell us how to handle it."
Typically, a student in a residence hall who contracts an illness like MRSA will be sent home until doctors clear them for return. Schmidt said most of what her office does are preventive measures before problems occur. She maintains monthly phone contact with Health Services to stay ahead of any illnesses on their way.
The Student Activity Center takes a similar tact, having posted messages about keeping facilities and equipment clean for years. Antibacterial spray bottles pepper workout areas, so machines remain germ free.
"Our policies help control the risk," said Stan Shingles, director of daily operations for the SAC.
The SAC takes on the issue of controlling outbreaks by comparing their standards with similar industries such as health clubs. They also work closely with Central Michigan District Health Department.
"We learned a lot from them," Shingles said. "We haven't had any major outbreaks of anything, including MRSA last year, when that was very prevalent on college campuses."
If one thinks they have MRSA, they can have it looked at by a medical professional. Many cases can be treated using antibiotics, or by draining the affected area. Allan Riggs, physician assistant for Central Michigan University Health Services, explained how the drugs he uses to treat MRSA constantly change, because the bacterium is very adaptable.
"That's one of our concerns," he said.
As to where it originates, Riggs explained that the scientific community simply does not know.
"We used to ask in medical school, 'who got the first case of gonorrhea?' Who knows?" he said.
Riggs gave a talk on campus two years ago about MRSA infection concerns, and to raise awareness. Riggs urged even the most careful people to be aware of their person-to-person contact.
"Even people in fencing...got MRSA under their (equipment)," he said.
Central Michigan University Health Services has seen five potential cases of antibiotic-resistant staph infection within the past two weeks.
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, known more commonly as MRSA (pronounced "Mer-suh") infection, is a community-borne illness. Institutions such as prisons and college residence halls are common breeding ground for cases of MRSA.
According to Central Michigan District Health Department, MRSA can be contracted through open cuts and sores while sharing community items such as towels and athletic equipment. Symptoms include seeing a swollen, painful bump on your skin, as well as yellow discharge coming from that bump. Serious or untreated infections can lead to worse conditions like pneumonia, or even death.
Two departments on CMU's campus have reason to worry. Coming in contact with another person's towel is not uncommon in a residence hall setting.
Associate Director of Residence Life Joan Schmidt said she has fortunately only had to deal with minor cases of community-borne illness.
"We follow what Health Services tells us," Schmidt said. "They do the investigating and they tell us how to handle it."
Typically, a student in a residence hall who contracts an illness like MRSA will be sent home until doctors clear them for return. Schmidt said most of what her office does are preventive measures before problems occur. She maintains monthly phone contact with Health Services to stay ahead of any illnesses on their way.
The Student Activity Center takes a similar tact, having posted messages about keeping facilities and equipment clean for years. Antibacterial spray bottles pepper workout areas, so machines remain germ free.
"Our policies help control the risk," said Stan Shingles, director of daily operations for the SAC.
The SAC takes on the issue of controlling outbreaks by comparing their standards with similar industries such as health clubs. They also work closely with Central Michigan District Health Department.
"We learned a lot from them," Shingles said. "We haven't had any major outbreaks of anything, including MRSA last year, when that was very prevalent on college campuses."
If one thinks they have MRSA, they can have it looked at by a medical professional. Many cases can be treated using antibiotics, or by draining the affected area. Allan Riggs, physician assistant for Central Michigan University Health Services, explained how the drugs he uses to treat MRSA constantly change, because the bacterium is very adaptable.
"That's one of our concerns," he said.
As to where it originates, Riggs explained that the scientific community simply does not know.
"We used to ask in medical school, 'who got the first case of gonorrhea?' Who knows?" he said.
Riggs gave a talk on campus two years ago about MRSA infection concerns, and to raise awareness. Riggs urged even the most careful people to be aware of their person-to-person contact.
"Even people in fencing...got MRSA under their (equipment)," he said.
The Truth behind Student Refund Checks
It’s the time of the semester that all college students look forward to, the disbursement of refund checks. Every student enjoys seeing all that money being handed to them, but do they know exactly where it came from and how they should actually spend it?
The amount of a students refund check is calculated very simply. First the students financial aid package and loans are ran to cover all school expenses for the upcoming semester. After everything is paid for, if there is an overabundance of funds the remaining total is turned into a student refund.
Jon Goodwin, a former Central Michigan University Financial Aid counselor, says that students do need to be careful to make sure that all charges are accounted for on the student account before spending any money from their refund check.
“There are cases in which all charges are not on the students account by the time financial aid is ran and the student receives a larger refund amount that what they should have. In most cases this happens with bookstore charges,” says Goodwin.
According to Goodwin, the best way to avoid those situations is to contact receivable accounting when the student receives the refund and make sure that there is nothing left to be paid for the semester.
After the student receives the refund check it is up to their discretion on how to spend the money. In most cases students who receive refund checks are not sure if they are allowed to spend the money at free will or put it away towards school. Flint senior LaMarcus Howard was one of those students.
“I never realized that the money was completely mine to spend until about a year ago. I would spend bits and pieces of it, but I would put most of it away towards school, said Howard.
Goodwin says that CMU has a term call educational expenses for the way students should spend their refund checks. Educational expenses means the students can spend the money on anything deemed necessary by them which could mean rent, transportation, school, or even personal use.
The amount of a students refund check is calculated very simply. First the students financial aid package and loans are ran to cover all school expenses for the upcoming semester. After everything is paid for, if there is an overabundance of funds the remaining total is turned into a student refund.
Jon Goodwin, a former Central Michigan University Financial Aid counselor, says that students do need to be careful to make sure that all charges are accounted for on the student account before spending any money from their refund check.
“There are cases in which all charges are not on the students account by the time financial aid is ran and the student receives a larger refund amount that what they should have. In most cases this happens with bookstore charges,” says Goodwin.
According to Goodwin, the best way to avoid those situations is to contact receivable accounting when the student receives the refund and make sure that there is nothing left to be paid for the semester.
After the student receives the refund check it is up to their discretion on how to spend the money. In most cases students who receive refund checks are not sure if they are allowed to spend the money at free will or put it away towards school. Flint senior LaMarcus Howard was one of those students.
“I never realized that the money was completely mine to spend until about a year ago. I would spend bits and pieces of it, but I would put most of it away towards school, said Howard.
Goodwin says that CMU has a term call educational expenses for the way students should spend their refund checks. Educational expenses means the students can spend the money on anything deemed necessary by them which could mean rent, transportation, school, or even personal use.
Religion on Campus: Different Perspectives
The Report:
Other Central student reactions:
The ministry of Michael T.K. Venyah:
Links:
The website that lists registered religious organizations:
https://secure.stulife.cmich.edu/rso/v2/directory/directory_search.rso?OrgID=9
The Open Grove Society:
http://www.freewebs.com/opengrovesociety/
The street preacher, Michael T.K. Venyah
www.soul-winners.org
Preacher Rick's website:
transformMi.com
Standing in the Gap:
http://www.standinginthegap.us/index.cfm
Royalty free music:
http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/
Other Central student reactions:
The ministry of Michael T.K. Venyah:
Links:
The website that lists registered religious organizations:
https://secure.stulife.cmich.edu/rso/v2/directory/directory_search.rso?OrgID=9
The Open Grove Society:
http://www.freewebs.com/opengrovesociety/
The street preacher, Michael T.K. Venyah
www.soul-winners.org
Preacher Rick's website:
transformMi.com
Standing in the Gap:
http://www.standinginthegap.us/index.cfm
Royalty free music:
http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/
CMU looks to add medical school in Saginaw
Central Michigan University is looking at building a medical school sometime in the near future.
The proposed site would be a previously vacant plot of approximately 60 acres of land in Saginaw along the Saginaw River.
The project would be backed by Sam Kottamasu, a CMU trustee. It is estimated that the school would cost somewhere between $30 million and $50 million. Additionally, it would cost in the area of $7 million annually to keep the school running.
At first, it would be expected that 50 students or so would be admitted into the first class. However, the hope would be to add more students to each new class and eventually have a class size of 150 to 200 students.
The school would come at an opportune time. According to state officials, a shortage of physicians may reach as high as 6,000 within the next 10 years or so.
Talks of a medical school are no guarantee that any action will take place, however.
“We are still in the feasibility phase of the proposed
Project,” said CMU spokesman Steve Smith.
Any action would not result in a school being built until at least the year 2012, at the earliest.
A medical school located away from the main campus would be nothing new around Michigan. Michigan State University has a medical school located in Grand Rapids.
Having the school in Saginaw would allow for easier access for patients to work with as compared to Mt. Pleasant.
The proposed site would be a previously vacant plot of approximately 60 acres of land in Saginaw along the Saginaw River.
The project would be backed by Sam Kottamasu, a CMU trustee. It is estimated that the school would cost somewhere between $30 million and $50 million. Additionally, it would cost in the area of $7 million annually to keep the school running.
At first, it would be expected that 50 students or so would be admitted into the first class. However, the hope would be to add more students to each new class and eventually have a class size of 150 to 200 students.
The school would come at an opportune time. According to state officials, a shortage of physicians may reach as high as 6,000 within the next 10 years or so.
Talks of a medical school are no guarantee that any action will take place, however.
“We are still in the feasibility phase of the proposed
Project,” said CMU spokesman Steve Smith.
Any action would not result in a school being built until at least the year 2012, at the earliest.
A medical school located away from the main campus would be nothing new around Michigan. Michigan State University has a medical school located in Grand Rapids.
Having the school in Saginaw would allow for easier access for patients to work with as compared to Mt. Pleasant.
Historic Downtown Joins the New Age
By: Lindsey Noel
Historic downtown Mount Pleasant has magnificent shopping, unique cultural attractions, scenic parks, and now Wi-Fi.
Although Wi-Fi has been available for about three years, the signs for downtown Mount Pleasant now proudly boast that there is a wireless local area network where students, consumers, business owners, and any downtown visitors can access the internet at their convenience.
“We really just wanted something more to offer the property owners, students, and everyone who visits,” explains Michelle Sponseller, downtown development director for the city of Mt. Pleasant.
CMS Internet, a local internet provider, helped make this happen by volunteering to set it all up. The cost was relatively little for the city who then only pays for the antennas, which cost around $1400.
Although downtown Mount Pleasant is beautiful and historic, the historic part causes some problems with the Wi-Fi.
“There are certain areas that the signal doesn’t go to because of the logistics,” says Sponseller, “a lot of the buildings downtown are made of brick which causes the signal to bounce and it can become very weak.”
In general, the farther inside a building you are the less signal you get, but if you are closer to the street or a window the signal is more clear.
"I like that it is free but the connection is not very good. I constantly have to reconnect," says Sarah McManus, a Central Michigan University Senior from Mount Pleasant.
The city presently owns six Wi-Fi antennas that are strategically placed around the city. There is a plan to add more antennas this spring.
“I love it when I see people out on the grass or picnic tables or at local restaurants lounging with their laptops and taking advantage of the Wi-Fi,” says Sponseller, “It’s nice.”
Historic downtown Mount Pleasant has magnificent shopping, unique cultural attractions, scenic parks, and now Wi-Fi.
Although Wi-Fi has been available for about three years, the signs for downtown Mount Pleasant now proudly boast that there is a wireless local area network where students, consumers, business owners, and any downtown visitors can access the internet at their convenience.
“We really just wanted something more to offer the property owners, students, and everyone who visits,” explains Michelle Sponseller, downtown development director for the city of Mt. Pleasant.
CMS Internet, a local internet provider, helped make this happen by volunteering to set it all up. The cost was relatively little for the city who then only pays for the antennas, which cost around $1400.
Although downtown Mount Pleasant is beautiful and historic, the historic part causes some problems with the Wi-Fi.
“There are certain areas that the signal doesn’t go to because of the logistics,” says Sponseller, “a lot of the buildings downtown are made of brick which causes the signal to bounce and it can become very weak.”
In general, the farther inside a building you are the less signal you get, but if you are closer to the street or a window the signal is more clear.
"I like that it is free but the connection is not very good. I constantly have to reconnect," says Sarah McManus, a Central Michigan University Senior from Mount Pleasant.
The city presently owns six Wi-Fi antennas that are strategically placed around the city. There is a plan to add more antennas this spring.
“I love it when I see people out on the grass or picnic tables or at local restaurants lounging with their laptops and taking advantage of the Wi-Fi,” says Sponseller, “It’s nice.”
How the Price of Fuel Still Affects Mt. Pleasant
By Jason Antoniewicz
Gas prices may have stabilized since rising above four dollars a gallon this past year, but Mount Pleasant residents are still feeling the pinch in their pocketbooks.
Chelsea Glisse, a sophomore from Bay City, admitted she makes less treks back home compared to previous years.
"It bugs me but - it's life and there's not much you can change about it," she said.
CMU junior Zachary VanderGraaff said his driving habits are the same as they were before the price hike, but his bank balance is not.
"If gas prices were cheaper, I'd be able to afford a new car," he said, describing his 1992 Chrysler Concorde and its various electrical problems.
Sophomore Emily De Long navigates campus on foot, with enough money in the bank for a car of her own. The cost of its gas is a different story.
"I know if I bought one, I wouldn't be able to keep up the expenses," she said.
Drivers do not have to be categorically strapped for cash to feel the pain of higher fuel costs.
Local resident Rhonda Bigelow, 55, has two children in a two-income household. Gas prices have given her pause in the way she spends money.
"When (me and my husband) go out to dinner, we now take the motorcycle because it's better on gas mileage," she said.
Bigelow and her family used to tool around in a gas-guzzling pickup truck before expenses dictated switching to a Chevrolet HHR.
"We look for fuel economy cars (now)," she said.
Michigangasprices.com is a consumer-driven website with up-to-date price information submitted by its users. According to the site, the lowest price for regular unleaded gasoline in Mount Pleasant as of this writing is $3.93 a gallon.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
What are you voting for in the November polls?
One of the more obvious answers is the president, but what else will people be voting for? Although very important, the president is not the only public office being filled in these elections. For Union Township voters, there is a new face running for township treasurer. Pamela Stovak, CMU alumni and professor, is running for the township treasurer position which will begin Nov. 20.
Stovak will “look at (treasurer) from a service prospective.” As treasurer, Stovak wants to keep in mind that the residents and voters of Union Township are her employer and she will work to answer the question, “What can we do for them?”
Stovak has 12 years of experience from working at Dow Chemical that qualifies her for treasurer. At Dow she worked in information systems as a system architect. Stovak hopes to utilize some of the tools and experiences from her time at Dow to help Union Township become as efficient as it possibly can.
One particular instance that gave Stovak the chance to show her efficiency was helping Dow implement a form of software asset management. They started by making sure every desktop throughout this worldwide company was standardized. The goal was to make it possible for an employee to get on a computer anywhere within the company and see exactly what they saw while sitting at their own desk. Employees were more productive and not spending their time figuring out how to use the different machine.
Stovak also worked on worldwide budgets for expenditures at Dow, which she hopes to use skills from her experiences to help with her duties as treasurer, such as tax collection and balancing of the township books.
Since her time with Dow, Stovak has been teaching for the last two years at CMU. She finds teaching to be her way to “give back to new up and comers.” Stovak teaches a business communication course that offers students all of the materials they will need after graduation to find jobs. She believes strongly in preparing students with the basic, but highly needed, tools for the “real world.”
Stovak has a feeling that the township may face new and different challenges in the future from the many changes happening in Michigan and wants to dive in face first to help.
Stovak will “look at (treasurer) from a service prospective.” As treasurer, Stovak wants to keep in mind that the residents and voters of Union Township are her employer and she will work to answer the question, “What can we do for them?”
Stovak has 12 years of experience from working at Dow Chemical that qualifies her for treasurer. At Dow she worked in information systems as a system architect. Stovak hopes to utilize some of the tools and experiences from her time at Dow to help Union Township become as efficient as it possibly can.
One particular instance that gave Stovak the chance to show her efficiency was helping Dow implement a form of software asset management. They started by making sure every desktop throughout this worldwide company was standardized. The goal was to make it possible for an employee to get on a computer anywhere within the company and see exactly what they saw while sitting at their own desk. Employees were more productive and not spending their time figuring out how to use the different machine.
Stovak also worked on worldwide budgets for expenditures at Dow, which she hopes to use skills from her experiences to help with her duties as treasurer, such as tax collection and balancing of the township books.
Since her time with Dow, Stovak has been teaching for the last two years at CMU. She finds teaching to be her way to “give back to new up and comers.” Stovak teaches a business communication course that offers students all of the materials they will need after graduation to find jobs. She believes strongly in preparing students with the basic, but highly needed, tools for the “real world.”
Stovak has a feeling that the township may face new and different challenges in the future from the many changes happening in Michigan and wants to dive in face first to help.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Some Local Businesses Feel Sagging Economy, Others Seem Immune
Many Mt. Pleasant businesses are feeling the stress of the failing economy. Some have already folded under the conditions. Others are doing just fine.
Char Young is all too familiar with the state of the economy. “There aren’t as many people coming in, and when they do come in they are careful what they spend”, said Young, owner of Jim & Donna’s Flower Shop, 100 S. Mission Street.
Young feels the items she sells are non-necessities – the types of purchases that are first to get cut when families budgets are tight. She also noted that competition with the big box stores has contributed to the drop in her sales. All of the large discount retailers sell fresh flowers and other merchandise similar to what Young carries.
Some Mt. Pleasant staples have lost the battle with the failing economy. It’s a depressing drive down Mission Road past the empty buildings where The Embers, Tony’s, and The Sweet Onion once thrived. The economic problems have in turn adversely affected the real estate market, causing these buildings to sit vacant for months on end.
The picture is not so grim on Broadway Street. Kristine Zeleznik, owner of Stone Soup Gifts & Home Accessories, 102 East Broadway Street, says she is doing fine. Zeleznik follows a few simple principles to stay successful. “Keep it unique. Take great care to bring unique affordable gifts and accessories, that’s why i’m surviving”, said Zeleznik.
Char Young is all too familiar with the state of the economy. “There aren’t as many people coming in, and when they do come in they are careful what they spend”, said Young, owner of Jim & Donna’s Flower Shop, 100 S. Mission Street.
Young feels the items she sells are non-necessities – the types of purchases that are first to get cut when families budgets are tight. She also noted that competition with the big box stores has contributed to the drop in her sales. All of the large discount retailers sell fresh flowers and other merchandise similar to what Young carries.
Some Mt. Pleasant staples have lost the battle with the failing economy. It’s a depressing drive down Mission Road past the empty buildings where The Embers, Tony’s, and The Sweet Onion once thrived. The economic problems have in turn adversely affected the real estate market, causing these buildings to sit vacant for months on end.
The picture is not so grim on Broadway Street. Kristine Zeleznik, owner of Stone Soup Gifts & Home Accessories, 102 East Broadway Street, says she is doing fine. Zeleznik follows a few simple principles to stay successful. “Keep it unique. Take great care to bring unique affordable gifts and accessories, that’s why i’m surviving”, said Zeleznik.
A Cappella Ensemble Hosts Fall Auditions at CMU
Students singing music scales echoed down a hallway in Central Michigan University’s Music Building Tuesday night as hopefuls prepared to audition for Central Harmony, CMU’s only coed a cappella group.
“Right now we have about nine solid people coming back from last year,” said Thomas Young, Central Harmony president. “We’re looking to add three or four more people who blend well with the rest of our group.”
Aja Alim-Young, a sophomore from Grand Ledge, came prepared to sing “Godspeed” by the Dixie Chicks as her audition song.
“I’ve been singing all my life and was really involved in theater when I was in high school, so it just fits,” Alim-Young said.
The ensemble was started in 2005 by three music majors who wanted to add a coed group to Central Michigan, said Chris Mueller, a Granville senior who has been with the group since its inception. The all-male ensemble, Fish & Chips, and the all-female group, On the Rox, were already well established at the time.
“In the beginning it was primarily made up of music majors, but now there are only two music majors left. It’s open to anyone who simply enjoys singing,” said Mueller, an English and Speech major.
The two music majors include, Young and Dominic Calzetta, the ensemble’s music director. Calzetta, a Saint Clair Shores senior, runs the rehearsals and puts together the choral arrangements. He said there is typically a back-and-forth struggle when deciding what songs the group will sing.
“It's a good mix between picking what is popular at the time and will be popular with the audience,” Calzetta said. “But then I have to also decide what is going to be singable for an a cappella group.”
In the past three years the group sang songs like “That Thing” by Lauryn Hill, “Accidentally in Love” by the Counting Crows and “Moondance” by Van Morrison.
This semester Calzetta hopes to be performing songs such as “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry and “Love Song” by 311.
At the end of each semester the group invites a few a cappella ensembles from other schools to sing with them at a performance that showcases the songs they practiced for the semester, Young said.
“This year we want to do a spring break tour and sing at different schools and music festivals around country,” Young said.
Calzetta said he keeps in contact with other ensembles in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in order to make the tours possible.
“Right now we have about nine solid people coming back from last year,” said Thomas Young, Central Harmony president. “We’re looking to add three or four more people who blend well with the rest of our group.”
Aja Alim-Young, a sophomore from Grand Ledge, came prepared to sing “Godspeed” by the Dixie Chicks as her audition song.
“I’ve been singing all my life and was really involved in theater when I was in high school, so it just fits,” Alim-Young said.
The ensemble was started in 2005 by three music majors who wanted to add a coed group to Central Michigan, said Chris Mueller, a Granville senior who has been with the group since its inception. The all-male ensemble, Fish & Chips, and the all-female group, On the Rox, were already well established at the time.
“In the beginning it was primarily made up of music majors, but now there are only two music majors left. It’s open to anyone who simply enjoys singing,” said Mueller, an English and Speech major.
The two music majors include, Young and Dominic Calzetta, the ensemble’s music director. Calzetta, a Saint Clair Shores senior, runs the rehearsals and puts together the choral arrangements. He said there is typically a back-and-forth struggle when deciding what songs the group will sing.
“It's a good mix between picking what is popular at the time and will be popular with the audience,” Calzetta said. “But then I have to also decide what is going to be singable for an a cappella group.”
In the past three years the group sang songs like “That Thing” by Lauryn Hill, “Accidentally in Love” by the Counting Crows and “Moondance” by Van Morrison.
This semester Calzetta hopes to be performing songs such as “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry and “Love Song” by 311.
At the end of each semester the group invites a few a cappella ensembles from other schools to sing with them at a performance that showcases the songs they practiced for the semester, Young said.
“This year we want to do a spring break tour and sing at different schools and music festivals around country,” Young said.
Calzetta said he keeps in contact with other ensembles in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in order to make the tours possible.
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